fillip 

W 

■W 

.      ::i^^^i^isr^^j-  :■  )     , 

1- 

i^ 

J 

-9^ 

1 

h.  ■•.. 

^    •     ■  :    ]-<)R. 

.  j:j£    :)G'; 

&i^ar>iinp^Hr. 

iAiUA'Ai    KlI'siGijLET 


Hiwe«e^'^^:^'<^:) 


LIBRARY    OF    THE    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,     N.    J. 
PRESENTED  BY 


Mr.  Hoel  Lawrence  McQueen 

BV  4905  .K5  1880 
Kingsley,  Charles,  1819- 

1875. 
Out  of  the  deep 


OUT  OF  THE  DEEP. 


// 


/ 


p-'} 


f 


®ut  of  tbe  Deep: 


WORDS  FOR  THE  SORROWFUL. 


FROM  TBE   WRITINGS  OF 


CHARLES  KINGSLEY. 


"  Out  of  the  deep  have  I  cried  unto  Thee,  O  God.' 


^eti3  fork: 
MACMILLAN     AND     CO 

1880. 


All  rights  reserved. 


ROBERT   MACLEHOSE,    KRINTER.    GLASGOW. 


^ 


^ 

THIS   LITTLE   BOOK   IS 
TO   AT  J.  TROUBLED   SOULS 

AND 

TO   THE    DEAR    MEIMORY    OF    ONE 

WHO   PASSED   THROUGH   THE   DEEP 
INTO   ETERNAL   REST. 

F.  E.  K. 

June  12,  18S0, 

-t 

^ 

•i- 

-b 

CONTENTS. 
I. 

Opt  of  the  Deep  of  Suffering  and  Sorrow. 
11. 

r-AGK 

1 

^ 

Orx  OF  THE  Deep  of  Sin 

4.3 

III. 

Out  of  the  Deep  of  Fear  and  Anxiety. 

G9 

IV. 

Out  of  the  Deep  of  Loneliness  and  Disap- 

pointment  

87 

V. 

Out  of  the  Deep  of  Darkness  and  Hell.      . 

109 

VI. 

Out  of  the  Deep  of  Death 

137 

VII. 

Prayer  out  of  the  Deep.         .... 

163 

^ 

^ 

OUT  OF  THE  DEEP 


SUFFERING  AND  SORROW. 


^  (t 


Save  me,  O  God,  for  the  waters  are  come  in  even 
unto  my  soul:  I  am  come  into  deep  waters;  so  that 
the  floods  run  over  me. " — Ps.  Ixix.  1,  2. 

I  am  brought  into  so  great  trouble  and  misery :  that 
I  go  mourning  all  the  day  long."— Ps.  xxxviii.  6. 

The  sorrows  of  my  heart  are  enlarged :  Oh !  bring 
Thou  me  out  of  my  distress.— Ps.  xxv.  17. 

The  Lord  hath  heard  the  voice  of  my  weeping : 
the  Lord  will  receive  my  prayer.— Ps.  vi.  8. 

In  tlie  multitude  of  the  sorrows  which  I  had  in 
my  heart,  Thy  comforts  have  refreshed  my  soul. — 
Ps.  xciv.  17. 


I. 


OUT   OF   THE   DEEP 

OF 

SUFFERING    AND    SORROW 


Each  heart  knows  its  own  bitterness ;  each 

soul  has  its  own  sorrow;    each  man's  life 

lias  its  dark   days  of  storm  and   tempest, 

when  all  his  joys  seem  blown  avray  by  some 

sudden  blast  of  ill-fortune,  and  the  desire 

of  his  eyes  is  taken  from  him,  and  all  his 

liopes  and  plans,  all  which  he  intended  to 

do  or  to  enjoy,  are  hid  with  blinding  mist, 

so  that  he  cannot  see  his  way  before  him, 

and  knows  not  whither  to  go,  or  whither 

to  flee  for  help ;  when  faitli  in  God  seems 

broken  up  for  the  moment,  when  he  feels 
^  3 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


no  strength,  no  purpose,  and  knows  not 
what  to  determine,  what  to  do,  what  to  be- 
lieve, what  to  care  for;  when  the  very  earth 
seems  reeling  under  his  feet,  and  the  foun- 
tains of  the  abyss  are  broken  up. 

When  that  day  comes,  let  him  think  of 
God's  covenant  and  take  heart.  Is  the 
sun's  warmth  perished  out  of  the  sky 
because  the  storm  is  cold  with  hail  and 
bitter  winds  ?  Is  God's  love  changed  be- 
cause we  cannot  feel  it  in  our  trouble  ?  Is 
the  sun's  light  perished  out  of  the  sky 
because  the  world  is  black  with  cloud  and 
mist  ?  Has  God  forc^otten  to  oive  lio'ht  to 
suffering  souls,  because  we  cannot  see  our 
way  for  a  few  short  days  of  perplexity  ? 

No.  God's  message  to  every  sad  and  de- 
solate heart  on  earth,  is  that  God  is  Light, 
and  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all;  that  God 


THE    CHARACTER    OF    GOD. 


is  Love,  and  in  Him  there  is  no  cruelty 
at  all ;  that  God  is  One,  and  in  Him  there 
is  no  change  at  all.  And  therefore  we 
can  pray  boldly  to  Plim,  and  ask  Him  to 
deliver  us  in  the  time  of  our  tribulation 
and  misery ;  in  the  hour  of  death,  whether 
of  our  own  death  or  the  death  of  those  w^e 
love  ;  in  the  day  of  judgment,  whereof  it  is 
written — "It  is  God  who  justifieth  us;  who 
is  he  that  condemneth  ?  It  is  Christ  who 
died,  yea,  rather  wdio  is  risen  ao^ain,  who 
even  now  maketli  intercession  for  us."  To 
that  boundless  love  of  God,  which  Ho 
showed  forth  in  the  life  of  Christ  Jesus  ; 
to  that  perfect  and  utter  will  to  deliver  us 
which  God  showed  forth  in  the  death  of 
Christ  Jesus,  wdien  the  Father  spared  not 
His  own  Son,  but  gave  Him  freely  for  us ; 
to  that  boundless  love  we  may  trust  our- 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


selves,  our  fortunes,  our  i'amilies,  our  bodies, 

our  souls,  and  the  bodies  and  souls  of  those 

Ave  love. 

National  Sermons. 

To    all,    sooner    or    later,    Christ    comes 

to    baptise   them    with    fire.     But   do    not 

think  that  the  baptism  of  fire  comes  once 

for   all    to   a    man,   in    some    one    terrible 

affliction,  some  one  awful  conviction  of  his 

own  sinfulness  and  nothingness.     No ;  with 

many — and  those  perhaps  the  best  people 

— it  goes  on  month  after  month,  3'ear  after 

year.     By  secret  trials,  chastenings,  which 

none  but   they  and    God   can   understand, 

the  Lord  is  cleansing  them  from  their  secret 

faults,   and    making    them   to   understand 

wisdom  secretly  ;  burning  out  of  them  the 

chaff    of    self-will,    and    self-conceit,    and 

vanity,  and  leaving  onh'  the  ]nire  gold  of 

6  ►J. 


THE    HIDDEN    CROSS. 


righteousness.  How  many  sweet  and  holy 
souls,  who  look  cheerful  enough  before  the 
eyes  of  man,  yet  have  their  secret  sorrows. 
They  carry  their  cross  unseen  all  day  long, 
and  lie  down  to  sleep  on  it  at  night ;  and 
they  will  carry  it  ])erhap.s  for  years  and 
}'ears,  and  to  their  graves,  and  to  the 
throne  of  Christ  before  they  lay  it  down ; 
and  none  but  they  and  Christ  will  ever 
know  what  it  was;  what  was  the  secret 
chastisement  which  God  sent  to  make  that 
soul  better  which  seemed  to  us  already  too 
good  for  earth.  So  does  the  Lord  watch 
His  people,  and  tries  them  with  fire,  as  the 
refiner  of  silver  sits  by  his  furnaces  watch- 
ing the  melted  metal  till  he  knows  that  it 

o 

is  purged  from  all  its  dross  by  seeing  the 
image  of  his  own  face  reflected  on  it. 

Tovm  and  Couvtry  Sermons. 


OUT    OF   THE    DEEP. 


By  sufferings  was  Christ  made  perfect;  and 
what  was  the  best  path  for  Jesus  Clirist  is 
surely  good  enough  for  us,  even  though  it 
be  a  rough  and  thorny  one.  Let  us  lie  still 
beneath  God's  hand;  for  though  His  hand 
be  heavy  upon  us,  it  is  strong  and  safe 
beneath  us  too;  and  none  can  pluck  us 
out  of  His  hand,  for  in  Him  we  live  and 
move  and  have  our  being.  He  w^aits  for 
us  year  after  year,  with  patience  which 
caimot  tire ;  therefore,  let  us  wait  awhile 
for  Him.  With  Him  is  plenteous  redemp- 
tion, and  therefore  redemption  enough  for 
us  and  for  those  likewise  whom  we  love. 
And  though  we  go  down  into  hell  with 
David,  with  David  we  shall  find  God 
there  (Ps.  exxxix.  8;  Ps.  xvi.  10),  and 
find  that  He  does  not  leave  our  souls  in 
hel],  nor  suffer  His  holy  ones  to  see  cor- 


THE    CROSS    OF    CHRIST. 


riiption.  Yes,  have  faith  in  God.  Nothing 
ill  thee  which  He  has  made  shall  see  cor- 
ruption;  for  it  is  a  thought  of  God's,  and 
no  tliought  of  His  can  perish.  Nothing 
shall  be  purged  out  of  thee,  but  thy  dis- 
ease; nothing  shall  be  burnt  out  of  thee 
but  thy  dross;  and  that  in  thee  of  which 
God  said  in  the  beojinningr  "Let  us  make 
man  in  our  own  image,"  shall  be  saved 
and  live  to  all  eternity.  Yes,  have  faith 
in  God,  and  cry  to  Him  out  of  the  deep, 
"Though  Thou  slay  me,  yet  will  I  love 
Thee,  for  Thou  lovedst  me  in  Jesus  Christ 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world." 

Sermons— Good  News  of  God. 

Oh,  sad  hearts  and  suffering  I     Anxious 

and    weary   ones !     Look   to   the   cross  of 

Christ.      There    hung    your    King !      The 

Kin;:^   of   sorrowinir   souls,    and    more,   the 

^  9  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


King   of   Sorrows.      Ay,   pain    and    grief, 

tyranny  and  desertion,  death  and  hell — Ho 

has  faced  them  one  and  all,  and  tried  their 

strengrth,   and  tau^^ht   them  His,  and  con- 

qoered  them  right  royally.     And  since  He 

hung  upon  that  torturing  cross,   sorrow  is 

divine,   godlike,   as    joy   itself      All   that 

man's   fallen  nature   dreads   and    despises, 

God  honoured  on  the  cross,  and  took  unto 

Himseir,  and  blest  and  consecrated  for  ever. 

And  now  blessed  are  the  poor,  if  they  are 

poor  iu  heart  as  well  as  purse;  for  Jesus 

Avas   p(jor,   aiid   theirs   is   the  kingdom  of 

heaven.     Blessed  are  the  hungry,  if  they 

huno^er  for  rio-hteousness   as  well  as  food  ; 

for  Jesus  hungered,  and  they  shall  be  filled. 

Blessed    are    those    who    mourn,   if    they 

mourn  not  only  for  their  sorrows,  but  for 

their  sins ;  for  Jesus  mourned  for  our  sins, 
q,  ^0  ^ 


TRUE    RESIGN ATIOX. 


and  on  the  cross  lie  was  made  sin  for  us, 
wlio  knew  no  sin  ;  and  tliey  shall  be  com- 
forted. Blessed  are  those  who  are  ashamed 
of  themselves,  and  hate  themselves,  and 
humble  themselves  before  God,  for  on  the 
cross  Jesus  humbled  Himself;  and  they 
shall  be  exalted.  Blessed  are  the  forsaken 
and  despised;  did  not  all  men  forsake  Jesus 
in  His  hour  of  need  ?  And  Avhy  not  thee, 
too,  thou  poor  deserted  one  ?  Shall  the 
disciple  be  above  his  IMaster  ?  No.  Every 
one  that  is  perfect  must  be  as  his  Master. 

National  5'6'nno«.s". 

Never  let  us  get  into  the  common  trick 

of  calling  unbelief  Resignation;  of  asking, 

and   then   because    we   have    not   faith   to 

believe,  putting  in  a  "  Thy  will  be  done  " 

at  the  end.      Let  us  make  God's  will  our 

will,    and    so    say,    "Thy    will    be    doiie." 
►J^  11  ►p 


GUT    OF    THE    DEi: 


There  is  a  false  as  well  as  a  true  and 
lioly  resignation.  When  tlie  sorrow  is 
come  or  coming,  or  necessary  apparently 
for  others'  good,  let  us  say  with  our 
Master  in  the  Agony,  "  Not  what  we  will, 
but  what  Thou  wilt!"  But  up  to  that 
point,  let  us  pray  boldly. 

Letters  and  Memories  of  Charles  Kingsley. 


Christianity  heightens  as  well  as  deepens 
the  human  as  well  as  the  divine  affec- 
ti(ms.  I  am  happy  ;  for  the  less  hope, 
the  more  faith.  God  knows  what  is 
best  for  us.  I  am  sure  we  do  not. 
Continual  resignation,  I  begin  to  find,  is 
the  secret  of  continual  strength.  "  Daily 
dying,"  as  Boehmen  interprets  it,  ''  is  the 
path  of  daily  living." 

Letters  and  Jfcmorirs. 


LITERAL    FAITH    IN    GOD'S    PROMISES. 


In  all  the  trials  of  life,  there  is  still 
some  way  of  escape  to  be  found  if  a 
man  goes  to  the  right  place  to  look  for 
it ;  and,  if  not  of  escape,  still  of  compen- 
sation. I  speak  of  that  which  I  know. 
Of  my  own  comfort  I  will  not  speak — of 
the  path  oy  which  I  attained  it  I  will. 
It  was  simply  by  not  struggling,  doing 
my  work  vigorously  where  God  had  put 
me,  and  believing  firmly  that  His  pro- 
mises had  a  real,  not  a  mere  metaphori- 
cal meaning,  and  that  Psalms  x.,  xxvii., 
xxxiv.,  xxxvii.,  cvii.,  cxii.,  cxxiii.,  cxxvi., 
cxlvi.,  are  as  practically  true  for  us  as 
they  were  for  the  Jews  of  old,  and  that 
it  is  the  faithlessness  of  tliis  day  which 
prevents  men  from  accepting  God's  pro- 
mises  in   their   literal    sense    with   simple 

childlike    faith.  Letters  and  Memories. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


Do  not  fear  the  clouds  and  storm  and 
rain  ;  look  at  the  bow  in  the  cloud,  in  the 
very  rain  itself.  That  is  a  sign  that  tlie 
sun,  though  3'ou  cannot  see  it,  is  shining- 
still — that  up  above,  beyond  the  cloud,  is 
still  sunlight  and  >Yarmth  and  cloudless 
blue  sky.  Believe  in  God's  covenant. 
Believe  that  the  sun  will  conquer  tl:e 
clouds,  warmth  will  conquer  cold,  calm 
will  conquer  storm,  fair  will  conquer  foul, 
light  will  conquer  darkness,  joy  will  con- 
quer sorrow,  life  conquer  death,  love  con- 
quer destruction  and  the  devouring  floods ; 
because  God  is  light,  God  is  love,  God  is 
life,  God  is  peace  and  joy  eternal,  God 
is  without  change,  and  labours  to  give  life 
and  joy  and  peace  to  man  and  beast  and 
all  created  things.  This  was  the  mean- 
in:^  of  the  rainbow.  It  is  a  witness  that 
14 


THE    BOW    IX    THE    CLOUD. 


God,  who  made  the  world,  is  the  iVieiid 
and  preserver  of  man;  that  His  promises 
are  like  the  everlastinj]:  sunshine  which  is 
above  the  clouds,  without  spot  or  fading, 
without  variableness  or  shadow  of  turning. 

National  Sermons. 

/  If  I  did.  not  believe  in  a  special  Provi- 
dence, in  a  perpetual  education  of  men 
by  evil  as  well  as  good,  by  small  things 
ns  well  as  great — if  I  did  not  believe  that 

— I  could  believe  nothing. 

Letters  and  Memorkn. 

''  Let   us   be    content ;    we   do    not   know 

what  is  o-ood.  for  us,  and  God  does. 

It   is   true,    and   you   will    find   it   true 

(though  God  knows  it  is  a  difficult  lesson 

enough  to  learn)  that  there  should  be  no 

greater  comfort  to  Christian  people  than  to 

be  made  like  Christ  by  suffering  patiently 
>^  1^  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


not  only  the  hard  work  of  every-day  life, 
but  sorrows,  troubles,  and  sicknesses,  and 
all  our  heavenly  Father's  corrections,  when- 
soever,  by   any   manner    of    adversity,    it 
shall  please  His  gracious  goodness  to  visit 
them.     For   Christ    Himself  went   not  up 
to  joy,    but   first    He    suffered    pain.     He 
entered  not  into  His  glory  before  He  was 
crucified.     Therefore  those  words  which  we 
read  in  the  Visitation  of  the  Sick  about  this 
matter  are  not  mere   kind   words,   meant 
to   give   comfort   for   the   moment.      They 
are  truth  and  fact  and  sound  philosophy. 
They   are   as   true   for  the   young   lad   in 
health   and    spirits   as   for   the    old    folks 
crawling  towards  their  graves. /"It  is  true 
that  sickness  and  all  sorts  of  troubles  are 
sent  to  correct  and  amend  in  us  whatsoever 
doth  offend  the  eye  of  our  heavenly  Father. 


PATIENCE. 


It  is  true,  and  you  will  find  it  true,  that 
whom  the  Lord  loveth  Pie  chasteneth. 

All  Saints'  Day  Sermons. 

"  That  ye  through  patience  and  comfort 
of  the  Scriptures  might  have  hope,"  says 
St.  Paul ;  and,  again,  "  Let  patience  have 
her  perfect  work."  But  where  are  we  to 
get  patience  ?  God  knows  it  is  hard  in 
such  a  world  as  this  for  poor  creatures 
to  be  always  patient.  But  faith  can  breed 
patience,  though  patience  cannot  breed 
itself ;  and  faith  in  whom  ?  Faith  in  our 
Father  in  Heaven,  even  in  Almighty  God 
Himself  He  calls  Himself  the  "  God  of 
Patience  and  Consolation."  Pray  for  His 
Holy  Spirit,  and  He  will  make  you  pa- 
tient ;  pray  for  His  Holy  Spirit,  and  He 
will  console  and  comfort  you.  He  has 
promised    that    Spirit    of   His — the    Com- 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


forter — the  Spirit  of  Love,  Trust,  and 
Patience — to  as  many  as  ask  Him.  Ask 
Him  at  His  Holy  Table  to  make  you 
patient ;  ask  Him  to  change  your  wills 
into  the  likeness  of  His  will.  Then  will 
your  eyes  be  opened ;  then  will  you  see  in 
the  Scriptures  a  sure  promise  of  hope,  and 
glory,  and  redemption  for  yourself  and  all 
the  world  ;  then  you  will  see  in  the  blessed 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  body  and  blood  a 
sure  sign  and  warrant,  handed  down  from 
hand  to  hand,  from  age  to  age,  from  year 
to  year,  from  father  to  son,  that  His  pro- 
mises shall  be  fulfilled — that  patience  shall 
have  her  perfect  work — that  hope  shall 
become  a  reality — that  not  one  of  the 
Lord's  words  shall  fail  or  pass  away  till 
all  be  fulfilled. 

National  Sermoiis. 


18 


^ 


PROSTRATION    OF    MIND. 


^ 


God  means  some  good  to  you  by  pros- 
trating you — perhaps  He  means  by  giving 
you  blessings  almost  without  your  asking, 
to  show  you  how  little  avails  morbid  sensi- 
tiveness or  self-tormenting  struggles.  Syn- 
thetical minds  are  subject  to  this  self-torture. 
Such  a  period  in  your  life  is  the  time  to  be- 
come again  a  little  child  !  I  do  not  mean 
a  re-regeneration,  but  a  permitting  of  the 
mind  to  assume  that  tone  of  calm  wonder 
and  infantile  trust,  which  will  allow  all  the 
innate  principles  within — all  God-bestowed 
graces  which  have  been  bruised  and  bowed 
by  the  tempest,  to  blossom  gently  upwards 
aorain,  in  "  the  clear  shining;  after  rain " — 
a  breathing  time  in  life — not  too  much 
retrospection  or  self-examination  —  keep 
that   for   the   healthy  and  vigorous   hours 

of  the  mind — but  a  silent  basking  in  the 
19 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


light  of  God's  presence — a   time   for  faith, 

more    than    for    labour;    for    general    and 

unexpressed,  more   than   for   particular  or 

earnest  prayer. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Sorrow,  though  dreary,  is  not  barren. 
Nothing  need  be  barren  to  those  who  view 
all  things  in  their  real  light,  as  links  in 
the  great  chain  of  progression,  both  for 
themselves  and  for  the  universe.  To  us, 
all  Time  should  seem  so  full  of  life ;  every 
moment  the  grave  and  the  father  of  un- 
numbered events  and  desio^ns  in  heaven 
and  earth,  revealing  the  mind  of  our  God 
Himself — all  things  moving  smoothly  and 
surely,  in  spite  of  apparent  checks  and 
disappointments,    towards    the    appointed 

End! 

Letters  and  Memories. 

20  4. 


THE    CHANGELESS    KINGDOiL 


In  all  the  chances  and  changes  of  this 
mortal  life,  it  is  our  one  comfort  to  believe 
firmly  and  actively  in  the  changeless  king- 
dom, and  in  the  changeless  King.  This 
alone  will  give  us  calm,  patience,  faith,  and 
hope,  though  the  heavens  and  the  earth  be 
shaken  around  us.  For  so  only  shall  we 
see  that  the  kingdom,  of  \yhich  we  are 
citizens,  is  a  kingdom  of  light,  and  not  of 
dai'kness ;  of  truth,  and  not  of  falsehood  ; 
of  freedom,  and  not  of  slavery ;  of  bounty 
and  mercy,  and  not  of  wrath  and  fear ;  that 
we  live  and  move  and  have  our  being, 
not  in  a  "Deus  quidam  deceptor,"  who 
o-rudo'es  His  children  wisdom,  but  in  a 
Father  of  Light,  from  whom  comes  every 
good  and  perfect  gift ;  who  willeth  that  all 
men   should   be   saved,   and   come   to   the 

knowledge  of  the  truth.     In  His  kingdom 
^  21  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


we  are ;  and  in  the  King  whom  He  has  set 
over  it  we  can   have   most   perfect   trust. 
For  us  that  King  stooped  from  heaven  to 
earth;    for   us   He    was   born,    for   us    He 
toiled,  for  us  He  suffered,  for  us  He  died,  for 
us  He  arose  again,  for  us  He  sits  for  ever  at 
God's  right  hand.     And  can  we  not  trust 
Him  ?    Let  Him  do  what  He  will.    Let  Him 
lead  us  whither  He  will.     Wheresoever  He 
leads  must  be  the  way  of  truth  and  life. 
Whatsoever  He  does,  must  be  in  harmony 
with  that  infinite  love  which  He  displayed 
for  us  upon  the  Cross.    Whatsoever  He  does 
must  be  in  harmony  with  that  eternal  pur- 
pose by  which  He  reveals  to  men  God  their 
Father.     Therefore,  though  the  heaven  and 
the  earth  be  shaken  around  us,  we  will  tru.st 
in  Him ;  for  we  know  that  He  is  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever. 

►J<  22  National  Set-Tiions.   ^ 


GOD  S    EDUCATIOX    OF    MAN. 


If  we   believe   that    God    is    educatinor 

o 

men,  the  when,  the  where,  and  the  how, 
are  not  only  unimportant,  but  considering 
Who  is  the  teacher,  unfathomable  to  us  ; 
and  it  is  enough  to  be  able  to  believe  that 
the  Lord  of  all  things  is  influencinfr  us 
through  all  things. 


Provided  we  attain  at  last  to  the  truly 
heroic  and  divine  life,  which  is  the  life  of 
virtue,  it  will  matter  little  to  us  by  what 
strange  and  weary  ways,  or  through  what 
painful  and  humiliating  processes,  we  have 
arrived  thither.  If  God  has  loved  us,  if 
God  will  receive  us,  then  let  us  submit 
loyally  and  humbly  to  His  law — "Whom 
the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth,  and  scourg- 
eth  every  son  whom  He  receiveth." 

A II  Saints'  Day  Sermons. 
23 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


I  believe  that  the  wisest  plan  of  bearing 
sorrow  is  sometimes  not  to  try  to  bear  it — 
as  long  as  one  is  not  crippled  for  one's 
e very-day  duties — but  to  give  way  to  sor- 
row, utterly  and  freely.  Perhaps  sorrow  is 
sent  that  we  may  give  way  to  it,  and,  in 
drinking  the  cup  to  the  dregs,  find  some 
medicine  in  it  itself  which  we  should  not 
find  if  we  began  doctoring  ourselves,  or 
letting  others  doctor  us.  If  we  say  simply, 
"I  am  wretched,  I  ought  to  be  wretched;" 
then  we  shall  perhaps  hear  a  voice,  "  Who 
made  thee  wretched  but  God  ?  Then  what 
can  He  mean  but  thy  good?"  And  if  the 
heart  answers  impatiently,  "  My  good  ?  I 
don't  want  it,  I  want  my  love  ! "  perhaps 
the  voice  may  answer,  "  Then  thou  shalt 
have  both  in  time." 

Letters  and  Memories. 


♦ 


24 


THE    PROBLEM    OF    LIFE. 


After  all,  the  problem  of  life  is  not  a 
difficult  one,  for  it  solves  itself — so  very 
soon  at  best — by  death.  Do  what  is  right, 
the  best  way  you  can,  and  wait  to  the  end 
to  hioiu.     .     .     . 

If,  in  spite  of  wars,  and  fevers,  and  acci- 
dents, and  the  strokes  of  chance,  this  world 
be  green  and  fair,  what  must  the  coming 
world  be  like  ?  Let  us  comfort  ourselves 
as  St.  Paul  did  (in  infinitely  worse  times), 
that  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are 
not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory 
that  shall  be  revealed.  It  is  not  fair  to 
quote  one  text  about  the  creation  groaning 
and  travailing  without  the  other,  that  it 
will  not  groan  and  travail  long.  Would 
the  mother  who  has  groaned  and  travailed 
and    brought    forth    children — would    she 

give  up  those  children  for  the  sake  of  not 
►I^  25  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


having  had  that  pain  ?     Then  believe  that 

the   day   will  come   when   the  world,   and 

every  human  being  in  it  who  has   really 

groaned    and    travailed,    would    not    give 

up  its  past  pangs  for  the  sake  of  its  then 

present  perfection,  but  will  look  back  on 

this  life,  as  the  mother  does  on  past  pain, 

with  glory  and  joy. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

I  write  to  you  because  every  expression 
of  human  sympathy  brings  some  little  com- 
fort, if  it  be  only  to  remind  such  as  you 
that  you  are  not  alone  in  the  world. 
I  know  nothing  can  make  up  for  such  a 
loss  as  yours*  But  you  will  still  have 
love  on  earth  all  round  you ;  and  his  love 
is  not  dead.  It  lives  still  in  the  next 
world  for  you,  and  perhaps  with  you.     For 

*  Death  of  a  Husband. 

26  ^ 


ETERNITY    OF    MARRIAGE. 


why  should  not  those  who  are  gone,  if  they 
are  gone  to  their  Lord,  be  actually  nearer 
us,  not  further  from  us,  in  the  heavenly 
world,  praying  for  us,  and  it  may  be,  in- 
fluencing and  guiding  us  in  a  hundred 
ways,  of  which  we  in  our  prison-house  of 
mortality  cannot  dream? 

Yes,  do  not  be  afraid  to  believe  that  he 
whom  you  have  loved  is  still  near  you, 
and  you  near  him,  and  both  of  you  near 
God,  who  died  on  the  Cross  for  you.  That 
is  all  I  can  say.  But  what  comfort  there 
is  in  it,  if  one  can  give  up  one's  heart  to 

believe  it ! 

Letters  and  Memories. 

.     .     .     All   that   I   can   say   about   the 

text,  Matt.  xxii.   30    [of  Marriage   in   the 

world  to  come],  is  that  it  has  nought  to 

do  with  me  and  my  wife.      I  know  that 
►J.  27  ^ 


OUT    OF    TUE    DEEP. 


if  immortality  is  to  include  in  my  case 
identity  of  person,  I  shall  feel  for  her  for 
ever  what  I  feel  now.  That  feeling  may 
be  developed  in  ways  which  I  do  not 
expect ;  it  may  have  provided  for  it  forms 
of  expression  very  different  from  any  which 
are  among  the  holiest  sacraments  of  life. 
Of  that  I  take  no  care.  The  union  I 
believe  to  be  eternal  as  my  own  soul,  and 
I  leave  all  in  the  hands  of  a  good  God. 

Is  not  marriage  the  mere  approxima- 
tion to  a  unity  that  shall  be  perfect  in 
heaven  ?  And  shall  we  not  be  reunited 
in  heaven  by  that  still  deeper  tie  ?  Surely 
if  on  earth  Christ  the  Lord  has  loved — some 
more  than  others ; — why  should  not  we  do 
the  same  in  heaven,  and  yet  love  all  ? 

Do  I  thus  seem  to  undervalue   earthly 

bliss  ?      No  !  I  enhance  it  when  I  make  it 
►^  28  ^ 


SHADOWS    AND    SUBSTANCE. 


the  sacrament  of  a  higher  union  !     Will  not 

this  thought  give   more  exquisite  delight; 

will  it  not  tear  off  the  thorn  from  every 

rose;    and    sweeten   every   nectar    cup    to 

perfect  security  of  blessedness  in  this  life, 

to  feel  that  there  is  more  in   store  for  us 

— that    all    expressions   of  love   here,    are 

but  dim   shadows  of  a  union  which  will 

be  perfect  if  we  but  work  here,  so  as  to 

work  out  our  own  salvation  ? 

Letters  and  Memories. 

That  is  an  awful  feeling  of 
having  the  roots  which  connect  one  with 
the  last  generation  seemingly  torn  up,  and 
having  to  say,  "  Now  I  am  the  root,  I  stand 
self-supported,  with  no  other  older  stature 
to  rest  on."  *  But  this  one  must  believe 
that  God  is  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  that 

*  Death  of  a  Parent. 
29 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


all  live  to  Him,  and  that  we  are  no  more 
isolated  and  self-supported  than  when  we 
were  children  on  our  mother's  bosom. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Believe   that    those    who    are   gone    are 

nearer  us  than  ever ;  and  that  if,  as  I  surely 

believe,  they  do  sorrow  over  the  mishaps 

and   misdeeds  of  those  whom   they  leave 

behind,  they  do  not  sorrow  in  vain.     Their 

sympathy  is  a  further  education  for  them, 

and  a  pledge,  too,  of  help,  and,  I  believe,  of 

final  deliverance  for  those  on  whom  they 

look  down  in  love. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

"  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the 
Lord  ;  for  they  rest  from  their  labours,  and 
their  works  do  follow  them." 

They  rest  from  their  labours.     All  their 

struggles,   disappointments,  failures,   back- 
^  ^0  ^ 


THE    DEAD    IX    CHRIST. 


slidings,  which  made  them  unhappy  here, 
because  they  could  not  perfectly  do  the  will 
of  God,  are  past  and  over  for  ever.  But 
their  works  follow  them.  The  good  which 
they  did  on  earth — that  is  not  past  and 
over.  It  cannot  die.  It  lives  and  grows 
for  ever,  following  on  in  their  path  long 
after  they  are  dead,  and  bearing  fruit  unto 
everlasting  life,  not  only  in  them,  but  in 
men  whom  they  never  saw,  and  in  genera- 
tions yet  unborn. 

Good  Neivs  of  God — Sermons. 

"  A   little   while   and   ye   shall   not   see 

me,  and  again  a  little  while  and  ye  shall 

see  me,  because  I  go  to  the  Father,"  said 

our    Lord    when    speaking    of    His    own 

death  to  His  sorrowing  disciples.      And  if 

it   be   so  with   Christ,  then  is  it  so  with 

those  who  are   Christ's,  with  those  whom 
>I<  31  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


we  love.  They  are  the  partakers  of  His 
death,  therefore  they  are  the  partakers  of 
His  resurrection.  Let  us  believe  that 
blessed  news  in  all  its  fulness,  and  be  at 
peace.  A  little  while  and  we  see  them, 
and  again  a  little  while  and  we  do  not 
see  them.  But  why  ?  Because  they  are 
gone  to  the  Father — to  the  source  and 
fount  of  all  life  and  power,  all  light  and 
love,  that  they  may  gain  life  from  His 
life,  power  from  His  power,  light  from 
His  light,  love  from  His  love — and  surely 
not  for  nought.  Surely  not  for  nought. 
For,  if  they  were  like  Christ  on  earth,  and 
did  not  use  their  powers  for  themselves 
alone,  if  they  are  to  be  like  Christ  when 
they  shall  see  Him  as  He  is,  the  more 
surely  will  they  not  use  their  powers  for 
themselves,   but   as    Christ    uses    His,   for 

►I.  32  ^ 


UNSEEN    PRESENCES. 


those  they  love  ?     Surely,  like  Christ  they 

may  come  and  go  even  now  unseen.     Like 

Christ  they  may  breathe  upon  our  restless 

hearts  and  say,  "  Peace  be  unto  you."    And 

not    in   vain — for    what    they   did   for   us 

when  they  were   yet    on    earth   they  can 

do  more  fully  now  that  they  are  in  heaven. 

They  may  seem  to  have  left  us,  and  we  may 

weep  and  lament.     But  the  day  will  come 

when   the   veil   shall   be   taken   from   our 

eyes  and  we  shall  see  them  as  they  are 

— with  Christ  and  in  Christ  for  ever — and 

remember  no   more   our   anguish,   for  joy 

that   another   human    being    has    entered 

into  that  one  true,  real,  and  eternal  world, 

wherein  is  neither  disease,  disorder,  change, 

decay,  nor  death,  for  it  is  none  other  than 

the  bosom  of  the  Father. 

All  Saints-Day  Sermons. 
c  33  ^j, 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


And    wliat    if    earthly    love    seems    so 

delicious  that  all  change  in  it  would  seem 

a  change   for  the  worse,  shall  we   repine  ? 

What    does   reason    (and    faith,    which   is 

reason  exercised  on  the  invisible)  require  of 

us,  but  to  conclude  that  if  there  is  change, 

there  will  be  something  better  there? 

Letters  and  Memories. 

AVhat  is  the  true  everlasting  life — the  life 
of  God  and  Christ — but  a  life  of  love,  a  life 
of  perfect  active,  self-sacrificing  goodness, 
whicli  is  the  one  only  true  life  for  all 
rational  beings,  whether  on  earth  or  in 
heaven — in  heaven  as  well  as  on  earth. 
Form  your  own  notions  as  3^ou  will  about 
angels  and  saints  in  heaven,  (for  every  one 
must  have  some  notions  about  them,)  and 
try  to  picture  to  yourself  what  the  souls 
of  those  whom  you  have  loved  and  lost  are 


HELP    FROM    THE    BLESSED    DEAD. 

doing  in  the  other  world  ;  but  bear  this  in 
mind,  that  if  the  saints  in  heaven  live  the 
everlasting  life,  they  must  be  living  a  life 
of  usefulness,  of  love,  and  of  good  works. 

There  are  those  who  believe  what  we  are 
too  apt  to  forget,  and  that  is  that  the  ever- 
lasting life  cannot  be  a  selfish  and  idle  life, 
spent  only  in  being  happy  oneself.  They 
believe  that  the  saints  in  heaven  are  not 
idle — that  they  are  eternally  helping  man- 
kind, doing  all  sorts  of  good  offices  for  those 
souls  who  need  them.  I  cannot  see  why 
they  should  not  be  right.  For  if  the  saints' 
delio^ht  was  to  do  orood  on  earth,  much  more 
will  it  be  to  do  good  in  heaven.  If  they 
helped  poor  sufferers,  if  they  comforted  the 
afflicted  here  on  earth,  much  more  will  they 
be  willing  to  help  and  comfort  them,  now 

that  they  are  in  the  full  power,  the  full  free- 
^  35 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP 


dom,  the  full  love  and  zeal  of  the  everlast- 
ing life.  If  their  hearts  were  warmed  and 
softened  by  the  fire  of  God's  love  here,  how 
much  more  there !  If  they  lived  God's  life 
of  love  here,  how  much  more  there,  before 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  face  of  Christ ! 

And  if  any  one  shall  say  that  the  souls  of 
good  men  in  heaven  cannot  help  us  who 
are  here  on  earth,  I  answer — When  did 
they  ascend  into  heaven  to  find  out  that  ? 
If  they  had  ever  been  there,  let  us  be  sure 
they  would  have  had  better  news  to  bring 
home  than  this,  that  those  whom  we  have 
honoured  and  loved  on  earth  have  lost  the 
power  which  they  used  once  to  havie  of 
comforting  us  who  are  struggling  below. 

No,  we  will  believe — what  every  one  who 

loses  a  beloved  friend  comes  sooner  or  later 

to  believe — that  those  whom  we  have  hon- 
►J^  36  ^ 


MINISTERING    SPIRITS. 


oured  and  loved,  though  taken  from  our 
eyes,  are  near  to  our  spirits ;  that  tliey  still 
fifrht  for  us  under  the  banner  of  their 
Master,  Christ,  and  still  work  for  us  by 
virtue  of  His  life  of  love,  which  they  live 
in  Him  and  by  Him  for  ever. 

Pray  to  them,  indeed,  we  need  not,  as  if 
they  would  help  us  out  of  any  self-will 
of  their  own.  They  do  God's  will,  and 
not  their  own;  and  go  on  God's  errands, 
and  not  their  own.  If  we  pray  to  God 
our  Father  Himself,  that  is  enough  for  us. 
And  what  shall  we  pray?  "  Father,  Thy 
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven." 
Good  A'eivs  of  God,  Sennojis. 

Is  not  that  one  thought  that  our  beloved 
ones  sleep  in  Christ  Jesus  enough  ?  They 
sleep  in  Jesus,  and  therefore  in  infinite 
tenderness,  sympathy,  care,  and  love.    They 


OUT   OF   THE    DEEP. 


sleep  in  Jesus;  and  He  is  the  Life,  and 
therefore  they  sleep  in  Life.  They  sleep 
in  Jesus;  and  He  is  the  Light,  and  there- 
fore they  sleep  in  Light.  They  sleep  in 
Jesus;  and  He  is  Love,  and  therefore  they 
sleep  in  Love.  And  what  better  ?  This 
is  better — that  they  who  sleep  in  Jesus 
must  surely  awaken.  For,  as  it  is  written. 
His  is  a  quickening,  awakening,  life-giving 
Spirit,  and  so  to  sleep  in  Him  is  to  sleep 
in  the  very  fount  and  core  of  life  and 
power.  If  from  Jesus  all  our  powers  and 
talents  come  here  on  earth,  surely  He  will 
give  us  more  and  nobler,  when  we  sleep 
in  Him,  and  wake  in  Him  to  a  risen  and 
eternal  life.  And  more,  it  is  written  that 
them  that  sleep  in  Jesus  will  He  bring 
with  Him.     At  the  last  day  we  shall  see 

face    to   face   those   we  loved — and  before 
^  38  ^j. 


THE    SPIRITUAL    BODY    A    REAL    BODY. 


that — oh  !  doubt  it  not.     Oftentimes  when 
Christ  draws  near  our  spirits  He  comes  not 
alone,    but   loving   souls,   souls  whom   we 
knew  in  the  flesh  on  earth,  bear  up  His 
train,  and  hover  near  our  hearts  and  join 
their  whispers  to   the  voice   and  inspira- 
tion of  Him  who  loved  us,  and  who  will 
o-uide  us  with  counsel  here,  and  after  that 
receive    us    into    glory,    where    we    shall 
meet  those  beloved,  ones — not  as  our  fore- 
fathers dreamed,  as  meagre  shadows  flitting 
through  dreary  and  formless  chaos — but  as 
we  knew  them  once— the  body  of  the  flesh 
alone  put  off",  but  the  real  body,  the  spirit- 
ual body  to  which  flesh  and  blood  was  but  a 
husk  and  shell,  living  and  loving  more  fully, 
more  utterly,  than  even  before,  because  it  is 
in  Christ  who  is  the  fount  of  life,  and  freed 
in  Him  for  ever  from  hell  and  death. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


And  if  you  wish  for  a  sign  that  this  is 

so,  come  to  holy  communion  and  take  the 

bread  and  wine  as  a  sign  that  your  bodies 

and  theirs,  your  souls  and  theirs,  are  fed 

from  the  same  fount  of  everlasting  life — 

the  dead  and  risen  and  ever  living  body 

of  Christ  Jesus,  which  He   has  given   to 

be  the  life  of  the  world. 

3ISS.  Sermons. 

We    know    that    afflictions    do    come — 

terrible    bereavements,    sorrows    sad    and 

strange.      There    they    are,    God    help   us 

all.     But  from  whom  do  they  come  ?     Who 

is  Lord  of  life  and  death  ?     Who  is  Lord 

of   joy   and    sorrow  ?       Is    not    that    the 

question  of  all  questions  ?     And  is  not  the 

answer  the  most  essential  of  all  answers  ? 

It  is  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God ;   the   Spirit 

who  proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the 
^  40  ^ 


BLESSED    NEWS. 


Son ;  the  Spirit  of  the  Father  who  so  loved 
the  world,  that  He  spared  not  His  only 
begotten  Son;  the  Spirit  of  the  Son  who 
so  loved  the  world  that  He  stooped  to 
die  for  it  upon  the  Cross ;  the  Spirit  who 
is  the  Comforter,  and  says,  "  I  have  seen 
thy  ways  and  will  heal  thee,  I  will  lead 
thee  also,  and  restore  comforts  to  thee  and 
to  thy  mourners.  I  speak  peace  to  him 
that  is  near  and  to  him  that  is  afar  off, 
saith  the  Lord;  and  I  will  heal  him." 
Is  not  that  the  most  blessed  news,  that 
He  who  takes  away,  is  the  very  same  as 
He  who  gives  ?  That  He  who  afflicts  is 
the  very  same  as  He  who  comforts  ? 

All  Saints-Bay  Sermon*. 

Oh !   blessed  news,  that  God  Himself  is 
the  Comforter.     Blessed  news,  that  He  who 
strikes  will  also  heal;  that  He  who  gives 
^  ^^  ►I^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


the  cup  of  sorrow  will  also  give  the 
strength  to  drink  it.  Blessed  news,  that 
chastisement  is  not  punishment,  but  the 
education  of  a  Father.  Blessed  news,  that 
our  whole  duty  is  the  duty  of  a  child — 
of  the  Son  who  said  in  His  agony,  Father, 
not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done.  Blessed 
news,  that  our  Comforter  is  the  Spirit  who 
comforted  Christ  the  Son  Himself;  who 
proceeds  both  from  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  and  who  will  tell  us  that  in  Christ 
we  are  really  and  literally  the  children  of 
God,  who  may  cry  to  Him  in  our  extreme 
need,  "  Father,"  with  full  understanding  of 
all  that  that  royal  word  contains. 

All  Saints-Day  Se7-mous. 


42 


-:^ 

11. 

OUT  OF  THE  DEEP 

OP 

SIN. 

^h 

♦ 

43 

* 

Innumerable  troubles  are  come  about  me.  My  sins 
have  taken  such  hold  upon  me,  that  I  am  not  able  to 
look  up  ;  yea,  they  are  more  in  number  than  the  hairs 
of  my  head,  and  my  heart  hath  failed  me. — Ps.  xl.  15. 

I  acknowledge  my  faults,  and  my  sin  is  ever  before 
me.  Against  Thee  only  have  I  sinned,  and  done  this 
evil  in  Thy  sight.- -Ps.  li.  3. 

I  said,  I  will  confess  my  sins  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  so 
Thou  forgavest  the  wickedness  of  my  sin. — Ps.  xxxii.  6. 

Blessed  is  the  man  whose  iniquity  is  forgiven,  and 
whose  sin  is  purged. — Ps.  xxxii.  1. 

There  is  forgiveness  with  Thee,  therefore  shalt  Thou 
be  feared. — Ps.  cxxx.  1. 


44 


IL 

OUT  OF  THE  DEEP 

OF 

SIN. 

God  is  not  against  you  but  for  you,  in 
all  the  struggles  of  life ;  He  wants  you 
to  get  through  safe ;  wants  you  to  suc- 
ceed ;  wants  you  to  conquer ;  and  He 
will  hear  your  cry  out  of  the  deep  and 
help  you.  And  therefore  when  you  find 
yourselves  wrong,  utterly  wrong,  do  not 
cry  to  this  man  or  that  man,  "  Do  yov 
help  me ;  do  you  set  me  a  little  more 
right    before    God    comes,    and    finds    me 

in  the  wrong  and  punishes  me."     Cry  to 
►J.  45  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


God  Himself,  to  Christ  Himself;  ask  Him 
to  lift  you  up;  ask  Him  to  set  you  riglit. 
Do  not  be  like  St.  Peter  before  his  conver- 
sion, and  cry,  "  Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a 
sinful  man,  O  Lord  ;  wait  a  little  till  I  have 
risen  up,  and  washed  off  my  stains,  and 
made  myself  somewhat  lit  to  be  seen." — 
No.  Cry,  "  Come  quickly,  O  Lord — at  once 
— just  because  I  am  a  sinful  man;  just 
because  I  am  sore  let  and  hindered  in 
running  my  race  by  my  own  sins  and 
wickedness;  because  I  am  lazy  and  stupid; 
because  I  am  perverse  and  vicious,  therefore 
raise  up  Thy  power,  and  come  to  me,  Thy 
miserable  creature,  Thy  lost  child,  and  with 
Thy  great  might  succour  me.  Lift  me  up, 
because  I  have  fallen  very  low;  deliver 
me,  for  I  have  plunged  out  of  Thy  sound 

and  safe   highway   into   deep   mire   where 
^  40  ^ 


CORRECTION    AND    DELIVERANCE. 


no  ground  is.     Help  myself  I  cannot,  a.nd 
if  Thou  help  me  not,  I  am  undone." 

Do  so.  Pray  so.  Let  your  sins  and 
wickedness  be  to  you  not  a  reason  for  hid- 
ing from  Christ,  who  stands  by ;  but  a 
reason,  the  reason  of  all  reasons,  for  crying 
to  Christ,  who  stands  by.  And  then, 
whether  He  delivers  you  by  gentle  means 
or  by  sharp  ones,  deliver  you  He  will,  and 
set  your  feet  on  firm  ground,  and  order 
your  goings,  that  you  may  run  with  pa- 
tience the  race  which  is  set  before  ycni 
along  the  road  of  life  and  the  pathway  of 
God's  cohimandments  wherein  there  is  no 

Good  News  of  God,  Sermom. 

What  are  we  to  do  when  our  sins  bring 

us,  as  they  certainly  will  some  day  bring 

us,    into   trouble,   but    to    open    our    eyes 
►J<  47  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


and  see  that  the  only  thing  for  men  and 
women  whom  God  has  made  is  to  obey 
Him  ?  How  can  we  prosper  by  doing  any- 
thing else  ?  It  is  ill  fighting  against  God. 
But  some  one  may  say,  "I  know  I  have 
sinned,  and  I  do  wish  and  long  to  obey 
God,  but  I  am  so  weak,  and  my  sins  have 
so  entangled  me,  that  I  cannot  obey  God. 
I  long  to  do  so.  I  feel  and  know,  when  I 
look  back,  that  all  my  sin  and  shame  and 
unhappiness  come  from  being  proud  and 
self-willed  and  determined  to  have  my  own 
way.     But  I  cannot  mend." 

Do  not  despair,  poor  soul !  I  had  a 
thousand  times  sooner  hear  you  say  that 
you  cannot  mend  than  that  you  can.  For 
those  who  really  feel  they  cannot  mend 
— those  who  are   really  weary  and  worn 

out  with   the  burden  of  their  sins — those 
^  48  ^ 


REPENTANCE    AND    RENEWAL. 


who  are  tired  out  with  their  own  wilfulness, 
and  feel  ready  to  lie  down  and  die,  like  a 
spent  horse,  and  say,  "  God  take  me  away, 
no  matter  to  what  place;  I  am  not  fit  to 
live  here  on  earth,  a  shame  and  a  torment 
to  myself  day  and  night " — those  who  are 
in  that  state  of  mind  are  very  near — very 
near — finding  out  glorious  news. 

God  knows  as  well  as  you  what  3^ou 
have  to  struggle  against;  ay,  a  thousand 
times  better.  He  knows — What  does  He 
not  know  ?  Therefore  pray  to  Him.  Cry  to 
Him  to  make  your  will  like  His  own  will, 
that  you  may  love  what  He  loves,  hate  what 
He  hates,  and  do  what  He  wishes  you  to 
do ;  and  you  will  surely  find  it  come  true 
that  those  who  try  to  mend,  and  yet  know 
that  they  cannot  mend  themselves,  God  will 

mend   them.  Xathnal  Serinous. 

►f.  r>  49  ►^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


Sin,  aiuLapria,  is  literally,  as  it  signifies, 
the  missing  of  a  mark  ;  and  that  each 
miss  brings  a  penalty,  or  rather  is  itself 
the  penalty,  is  to  me  the  best  of  news, 
and  gives  me  hope  for  myself  and  for 
every  human  being,  past,  present,  and  fu- 
ture, for  it  makes  me  look  on  them  all  as 
children  under  a  paternal  education,  who 
are  being  taught  to  become  aware  of,  and 
use  their  own  powers  in  God's  house,  the 
universe,  and  for  God's  work  in  it ;  and 
in  proportion  as  they  learn  to  do  that,  they 
attain  salvation,  o-coTJ/p/a,  literally  health 
and  wholeness  of  spirit,  which  is,  like  the 
health  of  the  body,  its  own  reward. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

If  in   sorrow    the   thought   strikes   you 

that  you  are  punished  for  your  sins,  mourn 

for  them,  but  not  for  the  happiness  they 
!^  50  ^ 


OLD    MEMORIES. 


have  prevented.  Eather  thauk  God  that 
He  has  stopped  you  in  time,  and  remember 
His  promises  of  restoring  us  if  we  profit 

by  His  chastisement. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Ah  !  how  many  a  poor,  foolish  creature, 
in  misery  and  shame,  with  guilty  con- 
science and  sad  heart,  tries  to  forcret  his 
sin,  to  forget  his  sorrow ;  but  he  cannot. 
He  is  sick  and  tired  of  sin.  He  is  miser- 
able, and  he  hardly  knows  why.  There 
is  a  lonofino^,  and  cravino^,  and  hunorer  at 
his  heart  after  something  better.  Then 
he  begins  to  remember  his  Heavenly 
Father's  house.  Old  words,  which  he 
learnt  in  childhood ;  good  old  words  out 
of  his  Catechism  and  Bible,  start  up 
strangely  in  his  mind.     He  had  forgotten 

them,    laughed    at    them    perhaps    in    his 
^  51 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


wild  days.  But  now  they  come  up,  he 
does  not  know  where  from,  like  beauti- 
ful c^hosts  fjlidinc:  in.  And  he  is  ashamed 
of  them.  They  reproach  him,  the  dear  old 
lessons  ;  and  at  last  he  says,  "  Would 
God  that  I  were  a  little  child  again ; 
once  more  an  innocent  little  child  at  my 
mother's  knee !  Perhaps  I  have  been  a 
fool;  and  the  old  Sunday  books  were 
right  after  all.  At  least,  I  am  miser- 
able !  I  thought  I  was  my  own  master, 
but  perhaps  He  about  whom  I  used  to 
read  in  the  old  Sunday  books  is  my 
Master  after  all.  At  least,  I  am  not  my 
own  master ;  I  am  a  slave.  Perhaps  I 
have  been  fighting  against  Him,  against 
the  Lord  God,  all  this  time,  and  now  He 
has  shown  me  that  He  is  the  stronger  of 

the  two." 
^  52  ^ 


THE    GOOD    PHYSICIAN. 


And  when  the  Lord  has  drawn  a  man 
thus  far,  does  He  stop  ?  Not  so.  He  does 
not  leave  His  work  half  done.  If  the  work 
is  half  done,  it  is  that  ^ue  stop,  not  that 
He  stops.  Whoever  comes  to  Him,  however 
confusedly,  or  clumsily,  or  even  lazily  they 
may  come.  He  will  in  no  wise  cast  out. 
He  may  afflict  them  still  more  to  cure  that 
confusion  and  laziness ;  but  He  is  a  physi- 
cian who  never  sends  a  patient  away,  or 
keeps  him  waiting  for  a  single  hour. 

National  Sermons. 

The  blessed  St.  Augustine  found  he  could 

never   conquer   his   own   sins   by    arguing 

with  himself,  or  by  any  other  means,  till 

he  got  to  know  God,  and  to  see  that  God 

was  the  Lord.     And  when  his  spirit  was 

utterly  broken,  when   he   saw  himself  to 

have  been  a  fool  and  blind  all  along — then 
^  53  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP 


the  old  words  which  he  learned  at  his 
mother's  knee  came  up  to  his  mind,  and 
he  knew  that  God  had  been  watching,  guid- 
ing him,  letting  him  go  wrong  only  to 
show  him  the  folly  of  going  wrong,  caring 
for  him,  bearing  with  him,  pleading  with 
his  conscience,  alluring  him  back  to  the 
only  true  happiness,  as  a  loving  father  will 
a  rebellious  and  self-willed  child;  and  he 
became  a  changed  man.  To  that  blessed 
state  may  God  of  His  great  mercy  bring 
us  in  His  own  good  time.  And  if  He  does 
brinf^  us  to  it,  it  is  little  matter  whether 
He  brings  iis  to  it  through  joy  or  through 
sorrow,  through  honour  or  through  shame, 
through  the  Garden  of  Eden  or  through 
the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death.  For 
what  matter  how  bitter  the  medicine  is  if 

it  does  but  save  our  lives  ?       Xatiojial  Sermons. 


THE    SENSE    OF    SIN. 


.  .  .  Your  sense  of  sin  is  not  fana- 
ticism ;  it  is,  I  suppose,  simple  conscious- 
ness of  fact.  As  for  helping  you  to  Christ, 
I  do  not  believe  I  can  one  inch.  I  can 
see  no  hope  but  in  prayer,  m  going  to 
Him  yourself,  and  saying :  "  Lord,  if  Thou 
art  there,  if  Thou  art  at  all,  if  this  be 
not  all  a  lie,  fulfil  Thy  reputed  promises, 
and  give  me  peace  and  the  sense  of  for- 
giveness, and  the  feeling  that,  bad  as  I 
may  be,  Thou  lovest  me  still,  seeing  all, 
understanding  all,  and  therefore  making 
allowance  for  all ! " 

I  have  had  to  do  that  in  past  days ;  to 
challenge  Him  through  outer  darkness  and 
the  silence  of  night,  till  I  almost  expected 
that  He  would  vindicate  His  own  honour 
by   appearing    visibly,   as   He   did   to   St. 

Paul  and  St.  John;   but  He  answered   in 
^  55  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


the   still,  small  voice  only;   yet  that  was 

Letters  and  Memories. 


enough. 


.  .  .  Dear  friend,  the  secret  of  life 
for  3^ou  and  for  me  is  to  lay  our  purposes 
and  our  characters  continually  before  Him 
who  made  them,  and  cry,  "  Do  Thou  purge 
me,  and  so  alone  shall  I  be  clean.  Thou 
requires t  truth  in  the  inward  parts.  Thou 
wilt  make  me  to  understand  wisdom 
secretly."  What  more  rational  belief  ? 
For  surely  if  there  be  any  God,  and  He 
made  us  at  first,  He  who  makes  can  also 
mend  His  own  work  if  it  gets  out  of 
gear.  What  more  miraculous  in  the  doc- 
trines of  regeneration  and  renewal  than 
in  the  mere  fact  of  creation  ? 

Letters  and  Memories. 


56 


THE    SliNS    OF    YOUTH. 


As  for  the  sins  of  youth,  what  says  the 
130th  Psalm?  If  Thou,  Lord,  were  ex- 
treme to  mark  what  is  done  amiss,  wlio 
could  abide  it  ?  But  there  is  mercy  with 
Him,  therefore  shall  He  be  feared.  And 
how  to  fear  God  I  know  not  better  than' 
by  working  on  at  the  special  work  which 
He  has  given  us,  trusting  to  Him  to  make 
it  of  use  to  His  creatures,  if  He  needs  us. 
Therefore  fret  not  nor  be  of  doubtful  mind, 
but  just  do  the  duty  which  lies  nearest. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Yes;  this  is  our  comfort,  this  is  our 
hope;  Christ,  the  Great  Healer,  the  Great 
Physician,  can  deliver  us,  and  will  deliver 
us  from  the  remains  of  our  old  sins,  the 
consequences  of  our  own  follies.  Not, 
indeed,  at  once  or  by  miracles,  but  In- 
slow  education.  Better,  indeed,  for  us 
^  57  


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


perhaps  that  He  should  not  cure  us  at 
once,  lest  we  should  fancy  that  sin  was  a 
lifjht  thins:  which  we  could  throw  off 
whenever  we  chose ;  and  not  that  it  is 
an  inward  disease,  corroding  and  corrupt- 
ino',  the  wages  whereof  are  death.  And 
so  it  is  that  because  Christ  loves  us 
He  hates  our  sins,  and  cannot  abide  or 
endure  them,  but  will  punish  them,  and 
is  merciful  and  loving  in  punishing  as 
long  as  a  tincture  or  remnant  of  sin  is 
left  in  us.  Therefore  let  us  put  ourselves 
into  the  hands  of  Christ,  the  Great 
Physician,  and  ask  Him  to  heal  our 
wounded  souls,  and  purge  our  corrupted 
souls,  and  leave  to  Him  the  choice  of 
how  He  will  do  it.  Let  us  be  content 
to  be  punished  and  chastised.  Let  Him 
deal  with  us,  if  He  sees  fit,  as  He  dealt 

^  5S  q. 


PUNISHMENT    OF    SIN. 


with  David  of  old,  when  He  forgave  the 

sin,  and  yet  punished  it  by  the  death  of 

his  child.     Let   Him  do  what  He  will  Ly 

us,  provided   He   does — what   He  will  do 

— make  us  good  men. 

All  Sabiis-Day  Sermons. 

My  belief  is  that  God  will  punish  (has 

He  not  punished  already  somewhat?)  every 

wrong   thing   I   ever  did   unless  I  repent 

— that  is,   change   my  behaviour   therein; 

and  that  His  liorhtest  blow  is  hard  enousih 

to  break  bone  and  marrow.      But  as  for 

saying  of  any  human  being  whom  I  ever 

saw  on  earth   that   there   is   no   hope  for 

them ;  that  if  ever,  under  the  bitter  smart 

of  just  punishment,  they  opened  their  eyes 

to  their  folly  and  altered  their  mind,  even 

then  God  would  not  forgive  them ;  as  for 

saying  that,  I  will  not  for  all   the  world 
^  59  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


and  the  rulers  thereof.  I  never  saw  a 
man  in  whom  there  was  not  some  good, 
and  I  believe  that  God  sees  that  good  far 
more  clearly,  and  loves  it  far  more  deeply, 
than  I  can,  because  He  Himself  put  it 
there,  and  therefore  it  is  reasonable  to 
believe  that  He  will  educate  and  strengthen 
that  good,  and  chastise  the  holder  of  it 
till  he  obeys  it,  and  loves  it,  and  gives 
himself  up  to  it ;  and  that  the  said  holder 
will  find  such  chastisement  terrible  enough 
if  he  is  unruly  and  stubborn  I  doubt  not, 
and  so  much  the  better  for  him.  Beyond 
this  I  cannot  say. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

If  a  man  really  believed  himself  to  be 

a  son,  under  a  father's  education,  he  would 

believe  everything  which   happened  to  be 

a   part   of    that    education.     And   such   a 
►J.  CO  ^ 


A    FATHERS    EDUCATION. 


man,  I  believe,  so  praying  and  so  work- 
ing, keeping  before  him  as  his  lode-star — 
'*  Our  Father,  hallowed  be  Thy  name ;  Th}^ 
kingdom  come ;  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth 
as  it  is  in  heaven ; "  and  asking  even  for 
his  daily  bread  for  that  purpose  and  no 
other,  would  find  selfishness  and  self-seek- 
ing die  out  of  him,  and  active  benevolence 
grow  lip  in  him.  He  would  find  past 
sorrows  and  falls  turned  unexpectedly  to 
practical  use  for  his  own  and  other's  good; 
and  discover  to  his  delight,  that  his  Father 
had  been  educating  him,  while  he  fancied 
he  was  educating  himself;  and  he  would 
neither  have  leisure  nor  need  to  torment 
himself  about  the  motives  of  his  actions, 
but  simply  whatever  his  hand  found  to 
do,  do  it  with  all  his  might. 

Letters  and  Memories. 
►J^  CI  ^j, 


OUT   OF    THE    DEEP. 


Let  US  forward.  God  leads  iis;  though 
blind,  shall  we  be  afraid  to  follow  ?  I  do 
not  see  my  way ;  I  do  not  care  to ;  but  I 
know  that  He  sees  His  way,  and  that  I  see 
Him,  and  I  cannot  believe  that  in  spite  of 
all  one's  sins  He  will  forget  His  gracious 
promises.  "  They  had  an  eye  unto  Him, 
and  were  lightened.  They  that  put  their 
trust  in  Him  shall  not  be  ashamed." 

I    know    the    miserable,    peevish,    lazy, 

conceited,  faithless,  prayerless  wretch  that 

I  am,  but  I  know  this  too,  that  One   is 

guiding  me,  and  driving  me  when  I  would 

not  be  guided,  who  will  make  me,  and  has 

made  me,  go  His  way,  and  do  His  work,  by 

fair  means  or  by  foul. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Be  of  good  cheer.      When  the   wicked 

man   turneth   from   his  wickedness    (then, 
►P  62  ►J, 


GOSPEL    OF    THE    INCARNATION. 

there   and   then)   he   shall   save    his    soul 

alive — and  all  his  sin  and  wickedness  shall 

not  be  mentioned  unto  him.     What  your 

"  measure "    of    guilt    (if    there   can    be    a 

measure  of  the  incommensurable  spiritual) 

rnay  be,  I  know  not.      But  this  I  know 

that  as   long   as   you    keep    the    sense    of 

guilt   alive   in   your   own   mind   you  will 

remain  justified   in   God's  mind ;   as  long 

as  you  set  your  sins  before  your  face  He 

will  set  them  behind  His  back. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

This  is  the  Gospel,  the  good  news  for 
fallen  men,  that  there  is  a  Man  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne  of  God  to  whom  all 
power  is  given  in  heaven  and  earth ; 
that  the  fate  of  the  world  and  all  that 
is  therein,  the  fate  of  sun  and  stars,  the 
fate  of  kings  and  nations,  the  fate  of  every 

^  63  q. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


publican  and  harlot,  heathen  and  outcast, 
the  fate  of  all  who  are  in  death  and  hell, 
depend  alike  upon  the  sacred  heart  of 
Jesus ;  the  heart  which  grieved  at  the 
tomb  of  Lazarus,  His  friend ;  the  heart 
which  wept  over  Jerusalem ;  the  heart 
which  said  to  the  blessed  Magdalene,  the 
woman  that  was  a  sinner,  "  Go  in  peace, 
thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee " ;  the  heart 
that  yearns  over  every  sinful  and  wander- 
ing soul  all  over  the  earth  of  God,  crying 
to  all,  "  Why  will  ye  die  ?  Have  I 
any  pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that 
dieth,  saith  the  Lord,  and  not  rather  that 
he  should  turn  from  his  wickedness  and 
live  ? "  "  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  are 
weary   and   heavy  laden  and  I  will   give 

you  rest." 

National  Sermons. 

G4 


MESSAGE  OF  HOLY  COMMUNION. 


This  is  the  message  of  the  blessed  sacra- 
ment of  the  body  and  blood  of  Cliri.st, 
which  tells  you  that  in  spite  of  all  your 
daily  sins  and  failings,  you  can  still  look 
up  to  God  as  your  Father;  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  as  your  life;  to  the  Holy  Spirit  as 
your  guide  and  your  inspirer;  that  though 
you  be  a  prodigal  son,  your  Father's  house 
is  still  open  to  you ;  your  Father's  eter- 
nal love  ready  to  meet  you  afar  off  the 
moment  that  you  cry  from  your  heart — 
"Father,  I  have  sinned,  and  am  no  more 
worthy  to  be  called  Thy  child ;"  and  that 
you  must  be  converted  and  turn  back  to 
God  your  Father  not  merely  once  for  all, 
but  weekly,  daily,  hourly,  as  often  as  3'ou 
forget  and  disobey  Him.  This  is  the 
message    of   the    blessed   sacrament — that 

though    you    cannot    come   to   it   trusting 
►p  E  65  1^ 


^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


in  3^our  own  righteousness,  you  can  come 
trusting  in  His  manifold  and  great  mercies; 
that  though  you  are  not  worthy  to  gather 
up  the  crumbs  under  His  table,  yet  He 
is  the  same  Lord  whose  property  is  ever 
to  have  mercy,  and  He  will  grant  that 
your  souls  shall  be  washed  in  Christ's 
most  precious  blood,  that  you  may  dwell 
in  Him,  and  He  in  you,  for  ever. 

National  Sermons. 

Members  of  Christ,  children  of  God,  lieirs 

of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  heirs  of  a  Hope 

undying,  pure,  that  Avill  never  fade  away, 

you  have  a  right  given  you  by  the  promise 

and  oath  of  Almighty  God  Himself,  to  hope 

for  yourselves,  for  your  neighbours,  for  this 

poor  distracted  world  for  ever  and  ever :  a 

right  to  believe  that  there  is  an  everlasting 
►J<  66  ^ 


THE    UNDYING    HOPE. 


day  of  justice,  and  peace,  and  liappiness  in 
store  for  the  whole  world,  and  that  you,  if 
3-on  will,  may  have  your  share  in  that 
Ljlorious  sunrise  Avhich  shall  never  set  airain. 
Go  to  the  Scriptures,  and  there  read  the 
promises  of  God,  the  grounds  of  your  just 
hope,  for  all  heaven  and  earth.  "  Be- 
hold the  Lamb  of  God,  who  takes  away 
the  sin  of  the  world."  How  dare  we,  who 
call  ourselves  Christians,  who  have  been 
baptized  into  His  name,  who  have  tasted  of 
His  mercy,  who  have  the  might  of  His 
love,  the  converting  and  renewing  power 
of  His  Spirit — how  dare  we  doubt  that  He 
will  take  away  the  sins  of  the  world  ? 
Ay,  step  by  stej),  nation  l)y  nation,  year 
by  year,  the  Lord  shall  conquer;  for  He 
must   reign   till   He    has   put   all   enemies 

under  His  feet.     ...     He  has  promised 
vj^  07  ►f. 


OUT    OF   THE   DEEP. 


to  take  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  He 
is  God,  and  cannot  lie. 

National  Sermons. 


68 


^ 

III. 

OUT  OF  THE  DEEP 

OF 

FEAR   AND   ANXIETY. 

>h 

^ 

69 

^ 

►fr 

IMy  heart  is  disquieted  within  me.     Fearfulness  and 
trembling  are  come  upon  me,   and  an  horrible  dreatl 
hath  overwhelmed  me.— Fs.  Iv.  4. 

Thou  hast  proved  and  visited  my  heart  in  the  night 
season— Ps.  xvii.  3. 

Nevertheless  though  I  am  sometimes  afraid,  yet  put 
I  my  trust  in  Thee.— Ps.  Iv.  3. 

The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation  ;  whom  shall 
I  fear?    The  Lord  is  the  strength  of  my  life  ;  of  whom 
shall  I  be  afraid  ?— Ps.  xxvii.  1. 

I  sought  the  Lord  and  He  heard  me  and  delivered 
me  from  all  my  fear.— Ps.  xxxiv.  4. 

^ 

>!< 

70 

^ 

III. 

OUT   OF   THE   DEEP 

OF 

FEAR   AND   ANXIETY. 

Who  is  there  who  has  not  at  times  said 
to  himself — "  God  is  so  holy,  so  pure  and 
glorious;  while  I  am  so  unjust,  and  un- 
clean, and  mean !  and  God  is  so  great  and 
powerful ;  while  I  am  so  small  and  weak  ! 
What  shall  I  do  ?  Does  not  God  hate  and 
despise  me  ?  Will  He  not  take  from  me 
all  I  love  best  ?  Will  He  not  hurl  me  into 
endless  torment  when  I  die  ?  How  can  1 
escape  from  Him  ?     Wretched  man  that  I 

am,  I  cannot  escape  from  Him  !     How  then 
^  71  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


can  I  turn  away  His  hate  ?  How  can  I 
make  Him  change  His  mind  ?  How  can  I 
soothe  and  appease  Him?  What  shall  I 
do  to  escape  Him  ? " 

Did  you  ever  have  such  thoughts  ?  And 
did  you  ever  find  those  thoughts,  that 
slavish  terror  of  God's  wrath,  that  dread 
of  hell  make  you  better  men  ?  I  never  did. 
Unless  you  go  beyond  them — as  far  beyond 
them  as  heaven  is  beyond  hell,  as  far  above 
.  them  as  a  free  son  is  above  a  miserable 
crouching  slave,  they  will  do  you  more 
harm  than  good.  This  spirit  of  bondage, 
tliis  slavish  terror,  instead  of  bringing  us 
nearer  to  God,  only  drives  us  farther  from 
Him.  It  does  not  make  us  hate  what  is 
wrong,  it  only  makes  us  dread  the  punish- 
ment of  it. 

HoAv    then    shall   we   escape   the    terror 

^  72  ►J^ 


MESSAGE  OF  HOLY  BAPTISM. 


and  misery  of  an  evil  conscience,  and  rise 
out  of  our  sins?  Believe  the  warrant  of 
your  baptism.  Your  baptism  says  to  you 
— "God  is  your  Father,  He  does  not  hate 
you  though  ^^ou  be  the  greatest  sinner 
on  earth.  He  loves  you,  for  you  are  His 
child,  and  He  willeth  not  the  death  of  a 
sinner,  but  that  all  should  come  and  be 
saved.  He  hateth  nothing  that  He  has 
made."  This  is  the  message  of  your  bap- 
tism— that  you  are  God's  child,  and  that 
God's  will  and  wish  is  that  you  should 
grow  up  to  become  His  son,  to  serve  Him 
lovingly,  trustingly,  manfully ;  and  that 
He  can  and  will  give  you  the  power  to 
do  so;  ay.  He  has  given  you  the  power 
already,  //  you  will  but  claim  and  use  it. 
But  you  must  claim  and  use  it,  because 
you   are   meant   not   merely   to    be    God's 


OUT    OF   THE    DEEl>. 


wilful,  ignorant,  selfish  child,  obeying  Him 

from  fear  of  the  rod,  but  to  be  His  willing, 

loving,  lo^'al  son. 

National  Sermons. 

God  is  not  a  tyrant  who  must  be  ap- 
peased with  gifts,  or  a  task-master  who 
must  be  satisfied  with  the  labour  of  his 
slaves.  He  is  a  Father,  who  loves  His 
children,  who  o-ives  and  loveth  to  oive,  who 
gives  to  all  freely,  and  upbraideth  not.  He 
truly  willeth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but 
rather  that  he  should  turn  from  his  wicked- 
ness and  live.  His  will  is  a  good  will,  and 
howsoever  much  men's  sin  and  folly  may 
resist  it,  and  seem  for  a  time  to  mar  it,  yet 
He  is  too  great  and  good  to  owe  any  man, 
even  the  worst,  the  smallest  spite  or 
grudge.     Patiently,  nobly,  magnanimously, 

God   waits — waits  for  the   man  who   is  a 
►J<  74  ►!< 


EVERLASTING    LOVE. 


fool,  to  find  out  his  folly ;  waits  for  tlie 
heart  which  has  tried  to  iind  pleasure  in 
everything  else,  to  find  out  that  everything 
else  disappoints,  and  to  come  back  to  Him, 
that  fountain  of  all  wholesome  pleasure, 
that  well-spring  of  all  life  fit  for  a  man  to 
live.  When  the  fool  finds  out  his  folly  ; 
when  the  wilful  man  gives  up  his  wilful- 
ness ;  when  the  rebel  submits  himself  to 
law ;  when  the  son  comes  back  to  his 
father's  house — there  is  no  sternness,  no 
upbraiding,  no  revenge ;  but  the  everlasting 
and  boundless  love  of  God  wells  forth  again 
as  ever.  The  Creator  has  condescended  to 
wait  for  His  creature,  because  what  He 
\vanted  was  not  His  creature's  fear,  but  His 
creature's  love ;  not  his  lip-obedience,  but 
his  heart ;  because  He  wanted  him  not  to 

come   back    as   a   tremblinir   slave    to    liis 
75 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


master,  but  as  a  son  who  has  found  out  at 

last  what  a  father  he  has  left  him,  when 

all  beside  has  played  him  false.     Let  him 

come  back  thus,  to  find  all  is  forgiven ;  and 

to   hear   the   Father    say,   "  This   my   son 

was  dead  and  is  alive  again ;  he  was  lost 

and  is  found." 

Discipline  and  other  Sermons. 

When  the  tempest  comes ;  when  afflic- 
tion, fear,  anxiety,  shame  come,  then  the 
Cross  of  Christ  begins  to  mean  something 
to  us.  For  then  in  our  misery  and  con- 
fusion we  look  up  to  heaven  and  ask.  Is 
there  any  One  in  heaven  who  under- 
stands all  this?  Does  God  understand 
my  trouble  ?  Does  God  feel  for  my 
trouble  ?  Does  God  care  for  my  trouble  ? 
Does  God  know  what  trouble  means  ? 
Or   must  I  fight  the  battle   of  life  alone, 


MESSAGE    UF    THE    CliOSS. 


without  sympathy  or  1r'I[)  fnnn  Cod,  who 
made  me  and  has  put  me  here  ?  Then, 
does  the  Cross  of  Christ  brin<^^  a  mes- 
sage to  our  heart  such  as  no  other  tiling 
or  being  on  earth  can  bring.  For  it  says 
to  us,  God  does  understand  thee  utterly ; 
for  Christ  understands  thee.  Christ  feels 
for  thee  ;  Christ  feels  with  thee ;  Christ  has 
suffered  for  thee,  and  suffered  with  thee. 
Thou  canst  go  through  nothing  which 
Christ  has  not  gone  through.  He,  the  Son 
of  God,  endured  poverty,  fear,  shame, 
agony,  death  for  thee,  that  He  might  be 
touched  with  the  feeling-  of  thine  infn-mitv 
and  help  thee  to  endure,  and  bring  thee  safe 

through  all  to  victory  and  peace. 

Westmhisfer  Sermons. 

Though  we,  happily,  no  longer   believe 

in  the   terror  by  night,  wdiich  of  old  was 

►I^  77  .^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


thought  to  come  from  witches,  ghosts, 
demons,  yet  there  is  a  terror  by  night  in 
which  wo  must  believe,  for  it  comes  to  us 
from  God,  and  should  be  listened  to  as  the 
voice  of  God,  even  that  terror  about  our 
own  sinfulness,  folly,  weakness,  which  conies 
to  us  in  dreams  and  sleepless  nights.  We 
may  learn  from  these  night  fancies  and 
night  thoughts;  for  they  are  often  God's 
message  to  us,  calling  us  to  repentance  and 
amendment  of  life.  They  are  often  God's 
Book  of  Judgment,  wherein  our  sins  are 
written,  which  God  is  setting  before  us, 
and  showino*  us  the  thinixs  we  have  done. 
God  sends  dreams  to  men  which  enable 
them  to  look  back,  and  recollect  thiugs 
past,  which  they  had  forgot  onl}^  too 
easily;    and  these  humble  and  penitential 

dreams   are   God's    warning    that   (as   the 

►J<  78  ►J^ 


RELIGION    OF    FEAR. 


Article  says)  the  infection  of  nature  doth 
remain  even  in  those  who  are  regenerate, 
and  that  nothing  hut  the  continual  help 
of  God's  Spirit  will  keep  us  from  falling 
back  or  falling  away. 

Discipline  and  other  Sermons. 

The  religion  of  terror  is  the  most  super- 
ficial of  all  religions.  God's  arbitrary  will 
and  almighty  power  may  seem  dark  by 
themselves  though  deep,  as  they  do  to  the 
Calvinists,  because  they  do  not  involve  His 
moral  character.  Join  them  with  the  fact 
that  He  is  a  God  of  mercy  as  well  as 
justice,  remember  that  His  essence  is  love, 
and  the  thunder  cloud  will  blaze  with 
dewy  gold,  full  of  soft  rain  and  pure 
light.  All  the  deep  things  of  God  are 
bright,  for  God  is  light. 

Letters  and  Meniori<  s. 
79 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


I  am  not,  and  will  not  (please  God  to 
help  me,  as  He  has  hitherto)  be  anxious 
about  anything.  Why  should  we  weary 
out  the  little  life  we  have  left  in  us,  when 
He  has  promised  to  care  for  us,  and  make 
us  renew  our  youth,  and  heap  us  with 
everything  that  is  good  for  us  ? 

And  as  for  our  difficulties.  Has  it 
not  been  fulfilled  in  them  —  As  thy  day 
so  shall  thy  strength  be  ?  Have  they  not 
been  God's  sending?  God's  way  of  pre- 
venting the  cup  of  bliss  being  over  sweet  ? 
and  consider,  have  they  not  been  blessed 
lessons  ?  Have  we  not  had  in  all  things 
with  the  temptation  a  way  to  escape  ? 
So  out  of  evil  God  brings  good ;  or  rather 
out  of  necessity  He  brings  strength.  The 
highest   spiritual  training  is  contained   in 

the   most   paltry   physical  accidents ;   and 

SO  ^ 


SCHOOL    LESSONS. 


the  meanest  actual  want  may  be  the 
means  of  calling  into  actual  life  the  pos- 
sible but  sleeping  embryo  of  the  very 
noblest  faculties. 

This  is  a  great  mystery;  but  we  are 
animals,  in  time  and  space;  and  by  time 
and  space,  and  our  animal  natures,  are  we 
educated.  Therefore  let  us  be  only  patient, 
patient;  and  let  God  our  Father  teacli 
His  own  lesson.  His  own  way.  Let  us 
try  to  learn  it  well,  and  learn  it  quickly ; 
but  do  not  let  us  fancy  that  He  will  ring 
the  school  bell,  and  send  us  to  play  before 

our  lesson  is  learnt. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

In  all  the  events  of  life  pray,  pray  take 

what  God  does  not  send  as  not  good  for  us, 

and  trust  Him  to  send  us  what  is   good. 

Remember  all  these  things  are  right,  and 
^  F  81  ^J. 


OUT    OF   THE    DEEP. 


come  with  a  reason,  and  a  purpose,  and  a 
meaning;  and  he  who  grumbles  at  them 
believeth  not  (for  the  time  being  at  least) 
in  the  Living  God. 

Ah  !  do  not  fancy  that  I  am  not  often 
perplexed — "  Cast  down,  yet  not  in  des- 
pair." No ;  Christ  reigns,  as  Luther  used 
to  say — and  therefore  I  will  not  fear, 
"though  the  mountains  be  removed  (and 
I  with  them)  and  cast  into  the  midst  of 

the  sea." 

Letters  and  Memories. 

All  these  anxieties  will  be  good  for 
you.  They  all  go  to  the  making  of  a 
man  —  calling  out  that  God-dependence 
in  him  which  is  the  only  true  self-de- 
pendence, the  only  true  strength.  Well 
said  old  Hezekiah,  "Lord,  by  all  these 
things  men  live  (by  trouble,  sorrow,  sick- 

^  S2  ^ 


VAIN    FEARS. 


ness),  and    in   these  things   is   the  life    of 
the  spirit." 

MS.  Letters. 

Our  Lord  said,  "  Take  no  thought  for  the 

morrow ;  the  morrow  shall  take  thought  for 

the  things  of  itself.      Sufficient  unto  the 

day  is  the  evil  thereof."    Matt.  vi.  34.     And 

do  we  not  find  that  our  Lord's  words  are 

true  ?    Who  are  the  people  who  get  through 

most  work  in  their  lives,   with  the  least 

wear   and   tear  ?      Are   they   the   anxious 

people  ?     Those  who  imagine  to  themselves 

possible  misfortunes,  and  ask  continually, 

What  if  this  happened,  or  if  that  ?     How 

should  I  be  able  to  get  through  such  and 

such  a  trouble  ?     Far,  far  from  it.     Let  us 

not   waste   the   streni^fth   which    God    has 

given  us  for  to-day  in  vain  fears  or  vain 

dreams  about  to-morrow.     To-day  is  quite 
^  8.3  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


full  enough  of  anxiety  and  care.  Sufficient 
for  the  da}^  is  the  evil  thereof,  and  sufficient 
for  the  day  is  the  good  thereof  To-day, 
and  to-morrow  too,  may  end  very  differ- 
ently from  what  we  hoiDe.  Yes.  But  they 
may  end  very  differently  from  what  we 
fear.  Look  not  too  far  ahead,  lest  you  see 
what  is  coming  before  you  are  ready  for 
the  sight.  If  we  foresaw  the  troubles  that 
are  coming,  perhaps  it  would  break  our 
hearts;  and  if  we  foresaw  the  happiness 
which  is  coming,  perhaps  it  would  turn  our 
heads.  Let  us  not  meddle  with  the  future 
but  refrain  our  souls  and  keep  them  low, 
like  little  children,  content  with  the  day's 
food,  and  the  day's  schooling,  and  the  day's 
play -hours,  sure  that  the  Divine  Master 
knows  all  that  is  right,  and  how  to  train 

us,   and   whither   to   lead    us,   though   we 
►J^  84  ^ 


THE    HIDDEN    FUTURE. 


know  not,  and  need  not  know,  save  this, 
that  the  path  by  which  He  is  leading  each 
of  us — if  we  will  but  obey  and  follow, 
step  by  step — leads  up  to  Everlasting  Life. 

All  Saints- Day  Sermons. 


85 


^ 


IV. 

OUT   OF   THE  DEEP 

OF 

LONELINESS,    FAILURE, 

AND 

DISAPPOINTMENT. 


87 


My  heart  is  smitten  down,  and  withered  like  grass. 
I  am  even  as  a  sparrow  that  sitteth  alone  on  the  house- 
top.— Ps.  cii.  4,  6. 

My  lovers  and  friends  hast  Thou  put  away  from  me, 
and  hid  mine  acquaintance  out  of  my  sight — Ps.  Ixxviii. 
18. 

I  looked  on  my  right  hand,  and  saw  there  was  no 
man  that  would  know  me.  I  had  no  i^lace  to  flee  unto, 
and  no  man  cared  for  my  soul.  I  cried  unto  Thee,  O 
Lord,  and  said,  Thou  art  my  Hope.  "When  my  spirit 
was  in  heaviness,  then  Thou  knewest  my  path.-Ps. 
cxlii.  4,  5. 

Gracious  is  the  Lord,  and  righteous  ;  yea,  our  God 
is  merciful.  I  was  in  misery,  and  He  helped  me. — 
Ps.  cxvi.  5,  6. 


IV. 
OUT   OF  THE   DEEP 

OF 

LONELINESS,    FAILURE, 

AND 

DISAPPOINTMENT. 

It  is  sorrow — sorrow  and  failure — which 
forces  men  to  believe  that  there  is  One  who 
heareth  prayer,  forces  them  to  lift  up  their 
eyes  to  One  from  whom  cometh  their 
help.  Before  the  terrible  realities  of  dan- 
ger, death,  disappointment,  shame,  ruin — 
and  most  of  all  before  deserved  shame, 
deserved  ruin — all  arguments  melt  away  ; 
and  the  man  or  woman,  who  was  but 
too  ready  a  day  before  to  say,  "  Tush,  God 

^  89  ^ 


OUT   OF   THE    DEEP. 


will  never  see  and  will  never  hear,"  begins 
to  hope  passionately  that  God  does  see, 
that  God  does  hear.  In  the  hour  of  dark- 
ness, when  there  is  no  comfort  nor  help 
in  man,  when  he  has  no  place  to  flee  nnto, 
and  no  man  careth  for  his  soul,  then  the 
most  awful,  if  most  blessed  of  all  questions 
is,  But  is  there  no  One  higher  than  man 
to  whom  I  can  fl.ee  ?  No  One  higher  than 
man  who  cares  for  my  soul,  and  for  the 
souls  of  those  who  are  dearer  to  me  than 
my  own  soul  ?  No  friend  ?  No  helper  ? 
No  deliverer  ?  No  counsellor  ?  Even  no 
judge  ?  No  punisher  ?  No  God,  even 
though  He  be  a  consuming  fire  ?  Am  I  in 
my  misery  alone  in  the  universe  ?  Is  my 
misery  without  any  meaning  and  without 
hope?     If  there  be  no  God,  then  all  that 

is  left  for  me  is  despair  and  death.     But 
^  90  ^ 


JUSTIFICATION    BY    FAITH. 


if  there  be,  then  I  can  hope  that  there  is  a 
meaning  in  my  misery;  that  it  comes  to  me 
not  without  cause,  even  though  that  cause 
be  my  own  fault.  Then  I  can  plead  with 
God,  even  though  in  wild  words  like  Job  ; 
and  ask,  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  sorrow  ? 
What  have  I  done  ?  Wliat  should  I  do  ? 
I  will  say  unto  God,  "  Do  not  condemn  me  ; 
show  me  wherefore  Thou  contendest  witli 
me.  Surely  I  would  speak  unto  the  Al- 
mighty ;  I  desire  to  reason  with  God." 
Oh,  my  friends,  a  man,  I  believe,  can  gain 
courage  and  wisdom  to  say  that  only  l)y 
the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  But 
when  once  he  has  said  that  from  his  heart, 
he  begins  to  be  justified  by  faith;  for  he  has 
had  faith  in  God.  He  has  trusted  God — 
and  more — he  has  justified  God.  He  has 
confessed  that  God  is  not  a  mere  force  or 
^  ^^  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


law  of  Nature ;  nor  a  mere  tyrant  and 
tormentor ;  but  a  Reasonable  Being  who 
will  hear  reason,  and  a  Just  Beinir  who 
will  do  justice  by  the  creatures  He  has 
made. 

Westminster  Sermons. 

The  deeper,  the  bitterer  your  loneliness, 
the  more  you  are  like  Him  who  cried  upon 
the  cross,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast 
Thou  forsaken  me  ?  "  He  knows  what  that 
grief,  too,  is  like.  He  feels  for  thee  at 
least.  Though  all  forsake  thee.  He  is  with 
thee  still,  and  if  He  be  with  thee,  what 
matter  who  has  left  thee  for  a  while  ?  Ay, 
blessed  are  those  that  weep  now,  for  whom 
the  Lord  loveth.  He  chasteneth ;  and  be- 
cause He  loves  the  poor,  He  brings  them 
low.     All  things  are  blessed  now  but  sin  ; 

for  all  things  excepting  sin  are  redeemed 
^  92  ^ 


REJOICING    IN    TRIBULATION. 


by  the  life  and  death  of  the  Son  of  God. 
Blessed  are  wisdom  and  courage,  joy  and 
health,  and  beauty  and  love  and  marriage, 
childhood  and  manhood,  corn  and  wine, 
fruits  and  flowers ;  for  Christ  redeemed 
them  by  His  life.  And  blessed,  too,  are 
tears  and  shame,  blessed  are  weakness  and 
ugliness,  blessed  are  agony  and  sickness, 
blessed  the  sad  remembrance  of  our  sins, 
and  a  broken  heart  and  a  repentant  spirit. 
Blessed  is  death,  and  blest  the  unknown 
realms,  where  souls  await  the  resurrection 
day,  for  Christ  redeemed  them  by  His  death. 
Blessed  are  all  things,  weak  as  well  as 
strong.  Blessed  are  all  days,  dark  as  well 
as  bright,  for  all  are  His,  and  He  is  ours ; 
and  all  are  ours,  and  we  are  His  for  ever. 

Therefore  sigh  on,  ye  sad  ones,  and  re- 
joice  in  your   own   sadness  ;   ache   on,  ye 
^  93 


OUT    OF   THE    DEEP. 


sufferiDg  ones,  and  rejoice  in  your  own 
sorrows.  Rejoice  that  you  are  made  free 
of  the  holy  brotherhood  of  mourners ;  re- 
joice that  you  are  counted  worthy  of  a 
fellowship  in  the  sufferings  of  the  Son  of 
God.  Rejoice  and  trust  on,  for  after 
sorrow  shall  come  joy.  Trust  on ;  for  in 
man's  weakness  God's  strength  shall  be 
made  perfect.  Trust  on  ;  for  death  is  the 
gate  of  life.  Endure  on  to  the  end,  and 
possess  your  souls  in  patience  for  a  little 
while,  and  that,  perhaps,  a  very  little 
while.  Death  comes  swiftly,  and  more 
swiftly  still  perhaps,  the  day  of  the  Lord. 
The  deeper  the  sorrow,  the  nearer  the 
salvation : — 

The  night  is  darkest  before  the  dawn  ; 
When  the  pain  is  sorest,  the  child  is  born  ; 
And  the  day  of  the  Lord  at  hand. 

JS^ational  Sermons. 
94 


THE    LOST    ONE    FOUND, 


Thou  who  art  weary  and  heavy  laden  ; 
thou  who  fanciest  at  moments  that  the 
Lord's  arm  is  shortened  that  it  cannot  save, 
and  art  ready  to  cry,  God  hath  forgotten 
me,  take  comfort,  and  look  upon  Christ. 
Thou  wilt  never  be  sure  of  the  love  of  God, 
unless  thou  rememberest  that  it  is  the  same 
as  the  love  of  Christ;  and  by  looking  at 
Christ,  leai'nest  to  know  thy  Father  and 
His  Father,  whose  likeness  and  image  lie 
is,  and  see  that  the  Spirit  which  proceeds 
alike  from  both  of  them  is  the  Spirit  of 
humanity  and  love,  which  cannot  help 
going  forth  to  seek  and  to  save  thee, 
simply  because  thou  art  lost.  Look,  I 
say,  unto  Christ ;  and  be  sure  that  what 
the  good  Samaritan  did  to  the  wounded 
traveller,  that   same  will   He   do  to  thee, 


95 


OUT    OF   THE    DEEP. 


because   He    is   the   Son   of  Man,   human 

and  humane. 

Ai't  thou  robbed,  wounded,  deserted,  left 

to  die,  worsted  in  the  battle  of  life,  and 

fallen  in  its  rugged  road,  with  no  counsel, 

no   strength,   no    hope,   no    purpose    left  ? 

Then  remember  that  there  is  One  walkino: 

to  and  fro  in  this  world  unseen,  but  ever 

present,  whose  form  is  as  the  form  of  the 

Son  of  Man.     And  He  has  time,  as  He  has 

will,  to  turn  aside  and  minister  to  such  as 

thee!     No  human  being  so  mean,  no  human 

sorrow  so  petty,  but  that  He  has  the  time 

and  the  will  and  the  power  to  have  mercy 

on   it,   because   He   is   the    Son    of    Man. 

Therefore  He  will  turn  aside  even  to  thee, 

whoever    thou    art,   who    art    weary    and 

heavy   laden,    and    can    find    no    rest    for 

thy  soul,  at  the  very  moment,  and  in  the 
►J.  96  ^ 


HEALING    AND    REST. 


very  manner  which  is  best  for  thee.  Wieu 
thou  hast  suffered  long  enou^^h,  He  will 
stablish,  strengthen,  settle  thee.  He  will 
bind  up  thy  wounds,  and  pour  in  the  oil 
and  the  wine  of  His  Spirit — the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  Comforter — and  will  carry  thee 
to  His  own  inn,  whereof  it  is  w^ritten,  "  He 
will  hide  thee  secretly  in  His  own  pres- 
ence from  the  provoking  of  men ;  He  will 
keep  thee  in  His  tabernacle  from  the  strife 
of  tongues.  He  will  give  His  angels  charge 
over  thee  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways; "  and 
He  will  give  thee  rest  at  last  in  the  bosom 
of  the  Father,  from  which  thou,  like  all 
human  souls,  camest  forth  at  first,  and  to 
which  thou  shalt  at  last  return,  with  all 
human  souls  who  have  in  them  the  Spirit 
of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  of  etenial  life. 

Discipline  and  other  Sermons. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP 


We  all  like  comfort.  But  what  kind  of 
comfort  do  we  not  merely  like,  but  need  ? 
Merely  to  be  comfortable  ?  To  be  free 
from  fear,  anxiety,  sorrow  ?  The  comfort 
which  poor  human  beings  want  in  such  a 
world  as  this  is  not  the  comfort  of  ease, 
but  the  comfort  of  strength.  The  com- 
forter whom  we  need  is  not  one  who  will 
merely  say  kind  things,  but  give  help — 
help  to  the  weary,  lonely,  heavy-laden 
heart  which  has  no  time  to  rest.  We  need 
not  the  sunny  and  smiling  face,  but  the 
strong  helping  arm.  For  we  may  be  in 
that  state  that  smiles  are  shocking  to  us, 
and  mere  kindness — though  we  may  be 
grateful  for  it — of  no  more  comfort  to  us 
than  sweet  music  to  a  drowning  man.  We 
may  be  miserable,  and  unable  to  help  being 

miserable,  and  unwilling  to  help  it  too.   We 
^  98  ^j. 


FACE  TO  FACE  WITH  SORROW 


do  not  wish  to  flee  from  our  sorrow  :  we  do 

not  wish  to  forget  it.     We  dare  not.     It  is 

so  awful,  so  heart-rending,  so  plain-spoken, 

that   God,   the   master    and   tutor   of   our 

hearts,  must  wish  us  to  face  it  and  endure 

it.     Our  Father  has   given  us   the   cup — 

shall  we  not  drink  it  ?     Oh  I    for  a  com- 

forter  who  will  help  us  to  drink  the  bitter 

cup — who  Avill  give  us  faith  to  say,  with 

Job,  "  Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust 

in  Him  " — who  will  give  us  the  firm  reason 

to  look  steadily  at  our  grief,  and  learn  the 

lesson  it  is  meant  to  teach — who  will  give 

us  the  temperate  will   to  keep  sober  and 

calm  amid  the  shocks  and  chano^es  of  mor- 

tal  life  !      If  we  had  such  a  comforter  as 

that,  we  should  not  care  if  he  seemed  at 

times   stern,  as  well   as   kind ;    we    could 

endure  rebuke   from  him  if  we  could  only 
>^  00  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


<ret  from  him  wisdom  to  understand  the 
rebuke,  and  courage  to  bear  the  chastise- 
ment. Where  is  that  comforter  ?  God 
answers :  That  Comforter  am  I,  the  God 
of  Heaven  and  Earth.  There  are  com- 
forters on  earth  who  can  help  thee  with 
wise  words  and  noble  counsels,  can  be 
strong  as  man  and  tender  as  woman.  But 
God  can  be  more  strong  than  man,  more 
tender  than  woman  likewise ;  and  when 
the  strong  arm  of  man  supports  thee  no 
longer,  yet  under  thee  are  the  Everlasting 
Arms. 

All  Saints-Day  S€7'mo7is. 

.  .  .  You  are  disappointed.  Do  remem- 
ber if  you  lose  heart  about  your  work, 
that  none  of  it  is  lost.  That  the  good 
of  every  good  deed  remains,  and  breeds, 
and  works  on  for  ever ;  and  that  all 
^  100  .  ►I^ 


NOTHING    IS    REALLY    LOST. 


that   fails   and  is  lost  is  the  outside  shell 

of  the  thing,  which   perhaps   might  have 

been  better  done,  but  better  or  worse  has 

nothing  to  do  with  the  real  spiritual  good 

which  you  have  done  to  men's  hearts,  for 

which  God  will  surely  repay  you  in  His 

own  way  and  time. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Don't  be  downhearted  if  outward  humili- 
ation, disappointment,  failure,  come  at  first. 
If  God  be  indeed  our  Father  in  any  real 
sense,  then  whom  He  loveth  He  chasteneth, 
even  as  a  father  the  son  in  whom  he 
delighteth.  And  "  till  thou  art  emptied 
of  thyself,  God  cannot  fill  thee,"  though 
it  be  a  law  of  the  old  Mystics,  is  true 
and  practical  common  sense.  Go  thy  way, 
though   the   way   to   true  light  is  a  long 

ladder.  Letters  and  Memories. 

^  101 


OUT    OF    THE   DEEP. 


As  for  any  schemes  of  mine,  it  is  a 
slight  matter  whether  they  have  failed 
or  not.  But  the  failure  of  a  hundred 
schemes  would  not  alter  my  conviction 
that  they  are  attempts  in  a  right  direc- 
tion ;  and  I  will  die  in  hope,  not  having 
received  the  promises,  but  beholding  them 
afar  off,  and  confessing  myself  a  stranger 
and  a  pilgrim. 

So  I  am  content  to  have  failed.  I  have 
learnt  in  the  experiment  priceless  truths 
concerning  myself,  my  fellow-men,  and  the 
City  of  God,  which  is  eternal  in  the  hea- 
vens, for  ever  coming  down  among  men, 
and  actualizing  itself  more  and  more  in 
every  succeeding  age. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

We   have   hope   in  Christ  for  the  next 

life    as    well    as    for    this — hope   that   in 
^  102  ;^ 


THE    DIVINE    DISCONTENT. 


the  next  life  He  will  give  us  power  to 
succeed  where  we  failed  here ;  that  He  will 
enable  us  to  be  good  and  to  do  good,  and,  if 
not  to  make  others  good  (for  there  we  trust 
all  will  be  good  together),  to  enjoy  the 
fulness  of  that  pleasure  for  which  we  have 
been  longing  on  earth — the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing others  good,  as  Christ  is  good  and  per- 
fect, as  their  Father  in  Heaven  is  perfect. 

All  Saints-Day  Sermons. 

There  are  many  who  have  in  them,  by 
grace  of  God,  the  divine  thirst  for  the 
higher  life  ;  who  are  discontented  with 
themselves,  ashamed  of  themselves;  w^ho 
are  tormented  by  longings  which  they 
cannot  satisfy,  instincts  which  they  cannot 
analyse,  powers  which  they  cannot  employ, 
duties  which  they  cannot  perform,  doctrinal 

confusions  which  they  cannot  unravel ;  who 

qi  103  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


would  welcome  any  change,  even  the 
most  tremendous,  which  would  make  them 
nobler,  purer,  juster,  more  loving,  more 
useful,  more  clear-hearted  and  sound- 
minded  ;  and,  when  they  think  of  death, 
say  with  the  poet — 

'Tis  life,  not  death,  for  which  I  pant, 
'Tis  life  whereof  my  nerves  are  scant, 
More  life,  and  fuller,  that  I  want. 

To  them  we  can  say,  for  God  has  said  it 

long  ago — Be  of  good  cheer.     The  calling 

and  gifts  of  God  are  without  repentance. 

If  you  have  the  divine  thirst,  it  will  be 

surely  satisfied.     If  you  long  to  be  better 

men   and  women,  you  will   surely  be   so. 

Only  be   true   to   those  higher    instincts ; 

only  do  not  learn  to  despise  and  quench 

that  divine  thirst;    only   struggle   on,  in 

spite  of  mistakes,  of  failures,  even  of  sins, 
^  104  ^ 


THIRST    FOR    A    LIVING    GOD. 


for  every  cue  of  which  last  your  Heavenly 
Father  will  chastise  you,  even  while  He 
forgives;  in  spite  of  all  disappointment 
struggle  on.  Blessed  are  you  who  hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness,  for  3^ou  shall 
be  filled.  To  you,  and  not  in  vain,  "  The 
Spirit  and  the  Bride  say,  Come.  And  let 
him  that  is  athirst,  Come.  And  whosoever 
will,  let  him  drink  of  the  water  of  life  freely." 
Wate7'  of  Life — Se7'mo7is. 

The  heart  and  soul  of  man  wants  more 
than  "  a  religion,"  as  it  is  written,  "  My 
soul  is  athirst  for  God,  even  the  Living 
God."  They  want  a  living  God,  who  cares 
for  men,  forgives  men,  saves  men  from  their 
sins;  and  Him  I  have  found  in  the  Bible, 
and  nowhere  else,  save  in  the  facts  of  life, 
which  the  Bible  alone  interprets. 

Letters  and  Memories. 
►}<  105  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP 


^ 


What  was  Christ's  life?  Not  one  of 
deep  speculation,  quiet  thoughts,  and  bright 
visions  ;  but  a  life  of  fighting  against  evil ; 
earnest,  awful  prayers  and  struggles  within, 
continual  labour  of  body  and  mind  without ; 
insult  and  danger  and  confusion  and  vio- 
lent exertion  and  bitter  sorrow.  This  was 
Christ's  life — this  is  the  life  of  almost  every 
good  and  great  man  I  ever  heard  of  This 
was  Christ's  cup,  which  His  disciples  were 
to  drink  of  as  well  as  He  ;  this  was  the  bap- 
tism of  fire  with  which  they  were  to  be 
baptised  of  as  well  as  He ;  this  was  to 
be  their  fight  of  faith  ;  this  was  the  tribula- 
tion through  which  they,  and  all  other 
great  saints,  were  to  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  For  it  is  certain  that  the 
harder  a  man  fights  against  evil  the  harder 

evil  will  fio^ht  ag^ainst  him  in  return  ;  but  it 
106 


BAPTISED    INTO    CHRIST. 


is  certain  too  that  the  harder  a  iiiau  fights 
ao-ainst  evil,  the  more  is  he  like  his  Saviour 
Christ,  and  the  more  glorious  will  be  his 
reward  in  heaven. 

Village  Sermons. 


107 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP 

OF 

DOUBT,    DARKNESS,    AND    HELL. 


109 


0  Lord  God  of  my  salvation,  I  have  cried  day 
and  night  unto  Thee.  Oh  !  let  my  prayer  enter  into 
Thy  presence.  For  my  soul  is  full  of  trouble  and 
my  life  draweth  nigh  unto  Hell.  Tliou  hast  laid 
me  in  the  lowest  jiit,  in  a  place  of  darkness,  and  in 
the  deep. — Ps.  Ixxxviii.  1,  2. 

If  I  go  down  to  Hell,  Thou  art  there  also.  Yea, 
the  darkness  is  no  darkness  with  Thee  ;  but  the  night 
is  as  clear  as  the  day. — Ps.  cxxxix.  7,  11. 

1  waited  patiently  for  the  Lord  ;  and  He  inclined 
unto  me,  and  heard  my  calling.  He  brought  me 
also  out  of  the  horrible  pit,  out  of  the  miry  clay, 
and  set  my  feet  upon  the  rock.  And  He  hath  put  a 
new  song  into  my  mouth,  even  a  thanksgiving  unto 
our  God.— Ps.  xl.  2,  3. 

God  hath  delivered  my  soul  from  the  place  of  Hell. 
He  shall  receive  me. — Ps.  xlix.  15. 


^  110 


OUT  OF  THE  DEEP 

OF 

DOUBT,  DARKNESS,  AND  HELL. 

It  is  sometimes  true,  that  sunshine  comes 
after  storm.  Sometimes  true — or  who  could 
live  ? — but  not  always.  Equally  true  that 
in  most  human  lives  there  are  periods  of 
trouble,  blow  following  blow,  wave  follow- 
ing wave,  from  opposite  and  unexpected 
quarters,  till  all  God's  billows  have  gone 
over  the  soul.  How  paltry  and  helpless 
in  such  dark  times  are  all  proud  attempts 
to  hang  self-poised  in  the  centre  of  the 
abyss,  and    there    organise    for   oneself  a 

character  by  means  of  circumstances.    Easy 

^  111  ►p 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


enough  it  seems  for  a  man  to  educate  him- 
self without  God  while  he  lies  comfortably 
in  idleness  on  a  sofa.  But  what  if  he 
found  himself  hurled  perforce  among  the 
real  universal  experiences  of  humanity ; 
and  made  free  in  spite  of  himself,  by 
doubt  and  fear  and  horror  of  great  dark- 
ness, of  the  brotherhood  of  woe,  common 
alike  to  the  simplest  peasant  woman,  and 
to  every  great  soul,  who  has  left  his  impress 
upon  the  hearts  of  after  generations  ?  Jew, 
Heathen,  or  Christian;  men  of  the  most 
opposite  creeds  and  aims — whether  it  be 
Moses  or  Socrates,  Isaiah  or  Epictetus, 
Augustine  or  Mohammed,  Dante  or  Ber- 
nard, Shakespeare  or  Bacon — each  and  all 
of  them  have  this  one  fact  in  common — 
that  once  in  their  lives,  at  least,  they  have 

gone   down  into   the   bottomless   pit,   and 
>b^  112  ►J. 


THE    ONE    ESCAPE. 


there  out  of  the  utter  darkness  have  asked 
the  question  of  all  questions — "Is  there 
a  God  ?  and  if  there  be,  what  is  He  doing 
with  me  ?  "  What  refuge  then  —  when 
a  man  feels  himself  powerless  in  the 
gripe  of  some  unseen  and  inevitable  power, 
and  knows  not  whether  it  be  chance 
or  necessity,  or  a  devouring  fiend  —  to 
wrap  himself  sternly  in  himself  and  cry, 
"  I  will  endure  though  all  the  universe 
be  against  me  "  ?  How  fine  it  sounds  ! 
But  who  has  done  it  ?  No,  there  is  but 
one  escape,  one  chink  through  which 
we  may  see  light,  one  rock  on  which  our 
feet  may  find  standing-place,  even  in  the 
abyss ;  and  that  is  the  belief,  intuitive, 
inspired,  due  neither  to  reasoning  nor  to 
study,  that  the  billows  are  God's  billows  ; 
and  that  thouirh   we   £Co  down    into    Hell, 

^11  ll.S  ^P 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


He  is  there  also ;  the  belief  that  not  we, 
but  He,  is  educating  us ;  that  these  seem- 
ingly incoherent  miseries,  storm  following 
earthquake,  and  earthquake  fire,  as  if  the 
caprice  of  all  the  demons  were  let  loose 
against  us,  have  in  His  mind  a  spiritual 
coherence,  an  organic  unity  and  purpose, 
though  we  see  it  not;  that  these  sorrows  do 
not  come  singty,  only  because  He  is  making 
short  work  with  our  spirits;  and  because 
the  more  effect  He  sees  produced  by  one 
blow,  the  more  swiftly  He  follows  it  up 
by  another;  till  in  one  great  and  varied 
crisis,  seemingly  long  to  us,  but  short 
compared    with    immortality,    our    spirits 

may  be — 

"  Heated  hot  with  burning  fears, 

And  batlied  in  baths  of  hissing  tears, 

And  battered  with  the  strokes  of  doom, 

To  shape  and  use," 
^  114  Two  Years  Ago.    ^ 


DOUBT    AND    DESPAIR. 


There    is    no    darker    temptation    than 

that  which   comes  over  a  man  when  tlie 

devil   whispers   to   him   sucli    thoughts   as 

these,    "  God   docs   not   care    for   m© — God 

hates   me.     Luck,   and    everything   else   is 

against    me.       There     seems    some    curse 

upon  me.     Why  should  I  change  ?      Let 

God  first  change  to   me  and   then  will   I 

change  towards  Him.     But  God  will  not 

change;    He   has   determined   to   have   no 

mercy  on  me.     I  can  see  that;  for  every- 

thino^   ofoes   wronor  with   me.      Then  what 

is    the   use   of  my   repenting.      I   will   go 

my  own  way — and  what   must  be  must." 

Have     you     ever     had     such     thoughts  ? 

Then  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  j^ou : 

*■'  When,     whensoever,      wheresoever,      the 

wicked     man     turneth     away     from     his 

wickedness  which  he  has  committed,  and 
q<  115  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


^ 


doeth  that  which  is  lawful  and  right,  he 
shall  save  his  soul  alive.  Have  I  any 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that  dieth 
saith  the  Lord,  and  not  rather  that  he 
should  be  converted  and  live?"  Never 
believe  the  devil  when  he  tells  you  that 
God  hates  you.  Never  believe  him  when 
he  tells  you  that  God  has  been  too  hard 
upon  you,  and  placed  you  in  such  circum- 
stances of  temptation,  ignorance,  poverty 
or  anything  else,  that  you  cannot  mend. 
What  does  the  promise  of  your  Baptism 
say  ?  "  Be  you  poor,  tempted,  ignorant, 
stupid,  be  you  what  you  will,  you  are 
God's  child — your  Father's  love  is  over 
you.  His  mercy  ready  for  you."  You 
feel  too  weak  to  change.  Ask  God's 
Spirit  to  give  you  a  strength  of  will  you 

never  felt  before.     You  feel  too   proud   to 
liG 


LIGHT    OUT    OF    THE    ABYSS. 


change.  Ask  God's  Spirit  to  humble 
your  proud  heart,  to  soften  your  hard 
heart;  and  you  will  find  to  your  sur- 
prise that  when  your  pride  is  gone, 
when  you  are  utterly  ashamed  of  your- 
self, and  see  your  sins  in  their  true 
blackness,  aud  feel  unworthy  to  look  up 
to  God,  that  then  will  come  a  nobler, 
holier,  manlier  feeling — self-respect,  and  a 
clear  conscience,  and  the  thought  that, 
weak  and  simple  as  you  are,  you  are  in 
the  right  way;  that  God  and  the  Angels 
of  God  are  smiling  on  you;  that  you  are 
in  tune  again  with  all  earth  and  heaven, 
because  you  are  what  God  wills  you  to 
be.  Not  His  proud,  peevish,  self-willed 
child,  fancying  yourself  strong  enough  to 
go  alone,  when  you  arc  really  the  slave 
of  your  own  passions  and  appetites  and 
^  117  J. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


the  playthings  of  the  devil ;  but  His  loving, 

loyal  son  through  the  strength  of  God,  and 

able   to   do  what  you  will,   because   what 

you  will  God  wills  also. 

National  Sermons. 

To  escape  atheism  and  despair,  let  us 
remember  that  the  Creator  and  Ordainer 
of  the  circumstances  of  life  is  not  chance 
or  Nature,  but  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  of  us. 

When  you  feel  you  are  in  the  deepest 

and  gloomiest  doubt,  pray  the   prayer  of 

desperation ;  cry  out,  "  Lord,  if  Thou  dost 

exist,  let  me  know  that  Thou  dost  exist! 

Guide  my  mind  by  a  way  that   I   know 

not  into  Thy  truth,"  and  God  will  deliver 

you. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

118  I 


FAITH    BORN    OF    DOUBT. 


Sad  as  your  letter  was,  it  gave  me 
pleasure ;  for  it  is  always  a  pleasure  to  see 
life  springing  out  of  death,  health  returning 
after  disease,  though,  as  doctors  know,  the 
recovery  from  asphyxia  or  drowning  is 
always  as  painful  as  the  temporary  death 
itself  was  painless.  Faith  is  born  of  doubt. 
"  It  is  not  life,  but  death,  where  nothing 
stirs."  Take  all  these  doubts  and  strufjorles 
of  yours  as  simply  so  many  signs  that  your 
Father  in  heaven  is  treating  you  as  a 
father,  that  He  has  not  forsaken  you,  is 
not  offended  with  you,  but  is  teaching  you 
in  the  way  best  suited  to  your  own  idio- 
syncracy,  the  great  lesson  of  lessons, 
"Empty  thyself  and  God  will  fill  thee." 
Take  3^our  sorrows  to  your  Father  in 
heaven.  If  that  name  Father  mean  any- 
thing,   it    must    mean    that    He    will    not 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


turn  caway  from  His  wandering  child  in  a 

way  that  you  would  be  ashamed  to  turn 

away  from  yours.     If  there  be  pity,  lasting 

affection,  patience  in  man,  they  must  have 

come   from   God.      They  above  all  things 

must  be  His   likeness.      Believe  that   He 

possesses  them  a  million  times  more  fully 

than  any  human  being. 

St.  Paul  knew  well  at  least  the  state  of 

mind  in  which  you  are.     He  said  that  he 

had  found  a  panacea  for  it.     And  his  words, 

to  judge  from  the  way  in  which  they  have 

taken  root  and  spread  and  conquered,  must 

have  some  depth  and  life  in  them.     Why 

not  try  them  ?      Just  read   the  first  nine 

chapters  of  St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Romans, 

taking   for   granted    that    they   mean   the 

simplest   and    most    obvious   sense    which 

can  be  put  upon  them.         Letters  and  Memories. 
^  120  ^ 


GOING    DOWN    INTO    HELL. 


When  the  hour  of  temptation  comes,  go 
back,  go  back  if  you  woukl  escape,  to  what 
you  were  taught  at  your  mother's  knee 
concerning  the  grace  of  God ;  for  that  alone 
will  keep  you  safe,  or  angel,  or  archangel, 
or  any  created  being  safe,  in  this  life,  and  in 
all  lives  to  come. 

Sermons  on  David. 

What  does  it  all  mean?  I  cry.  Night 
and  clay  the  heavens  have  been  black  to  me. 
You  may  think  it  sinful  to  have  such 
thoughts.  My  experience  is  that  when  they 
come,  one  must  do  battle  with  them;  one 
must  face  them ;  do  battle  with  them  delib- 
erately ;  be  patient  if  they  worst  one  for  a 
while.  By  all  such  things  men  live ;  in 
these  is  the  life  of  the  spirit.  Only  by 
iroinor  down  into  hell  can  one  rise  the  tliird 
day.    I  have  been  in  hell  many  times  in  my 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


life,  therefore,  perhaps,  I  have  had  some 
small  power  of  influencing  human  hearts. 
But  T  never  have  looked  hell  so  close  in  the 
face  as  I  have  been  doing  of  late.  Where- 
fore, I  hope  thereby  to  get  fresh  power 
to  rise  and  to  lift  others  heavenward. 

I  can  only  cry — "O  Lord,  in  Thee 
have  I  trusted,  let  me  never  be  confounded. 
Wherefore  should  the  wicked  say — Wliere 
is  now  his  God  ? "  But  while  I  fret  most 
there  comes  to  me  an  inner  voice,  saying — 
"  What  matter  if  tliou  art  confounded.  God 
is  not.  Only  believe  firmly  that  God  is  as 
good  as  thou  with  thy  finite  reason  canst 
conceive;  and  He  will  make  thee  at  last 
able  to  conceive  how  good  He  is,  and 
thou  shalt  have  the  perfect  blessing  of 
seeing  God."  You  will  say  I  am  inconsist- 
ent.    So  I  am  ;  and  so,  if  read  honestly,  are 


THE    LIGHT    OF    THE    INCARNATION. 

David's  Psalms.  Yet,  that  very  inconsist- 
ency is  what  brings  them  home  to  every 
human  heart  for  ever.  The  words  of  a  man 
in  real  doubt  and  real  darkness,  crying  for 
lifrht,  and  not  crying  in  vain,  as  I  trust 
I  shall  not. 

I  only  know  that  I  know  noth- 
ing, but  hope  that  Christ,  who  is  the 
Son  of  Man,  will  tell  me  piecemeal,  if  I 
be  patient  and  watchful,  what  I  am  and 
what  man  is. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Some  things  I  see  clearly,  and  hold  with 
desperate  clutch— a  Father  in  Heaven  for 
all;  a  Son  of  God  incarnate  for  all  (that 
incarnation  is  the  one  fact  which  is  to  me 
worth  all,  because  it  makes  all  others 
possible  and  rational,  and  without  it  I 
should  go  mad) ;  and  a  Spirit  of  the  Father 
^  123 ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


and  the  Son,  the  fountain  of  all  good  on 
earth — who  works  to  will  and  to  do  of 
His  own  good  pleasure — in  whom  ?  In 
every  human  being  in  whom  there  is  one 
spark  of  active  good,  the  least  desire  to  do 
right,  or  to  be  of  use.  Beyond  that  I  see 
little  save  that  Right  is  divine  and  all- 
conquering — Wrong  utterly  infernal,  and 
yet  weak,  foolish,  a  mere  bullying  phantom, 
which  will  flee  at  each  brave  blow,  had  we 

couragfe  to  strike  at  it  in  God's  name. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

There  is    not  a  sorrow  which  man  can 

taste  which  Jesus  Christ  has  not  fulfilled. 

He  filled  the  cup  of  misery  to  the  brim,  and 

drained  it  to  the  dregs.     He  tasted  death  for 

every  man,  and  went  down  into  the  lowest 

depths  of  terror  and  shame  and  agony  and 

death,  and,  worst  of  all,  into  the  feeling  that 
^  124  ^ 


HE    DESCENDED    INTO    HELL. 


God  had  forsaken  Him  ;  that  there  was  no 
help  or  hope  for  Him  in  heaven,  as  well  as 
earth ;  in  a  word,  He  went  down  into  hell  ; 
even    into    that    lowest    darkness    where, 
for   one   moment,  a   man   feels,   that    God 
is    nothing    to    him,    and    he    is    nothing 
to  God.     Even  into  that  depth  Jesus  con- 
descended    to    go    down    for    us.       That 
worst  of  all  temptations,  of  which  David 
only    tasted   a   drop,   when   he   cried   out, 
"My   God,   my  God,   why   hast  thou   for- 
saken  me?"— Jesus   drained   to   the   very 
dregs  for  us.     He  went  down  into  hell  for 
us,  and  conquered  hell  and  death,  and  the 
darkness  of  the  unknown  world,  and  rose 
again  glorious  from  them,  that  He  might 
teach  us  not  to  fear  death  and  hell;  that 
He  miglit  know  how  to  comfort  us  in  the 
hour  of  death,  and  in  the  day  of  judgment, 
^  125  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


when  on  our  sick-bed,  or  in  some  bitter 
shame  and  trouble,  the  lying  devil  is  tell- 
ing us  that  we  are  damned  and  lost,  and 
forsaken  by  God,  and  every  sin  we  ever 
did  rises  up  and  stares  us  in  the  face. 

National  Se7"mo7is. 

Whatever  may  be  the  mysteries  of  life 

and   death,    there   is   one    mystery   which 

the    Cross    of    Christ   reveals    to   us,   and 

that  is  the  infinite  and  absolute  goodness 

of  God.     Let  all  the  rest  remain  a  mystery 

so  long   as   the   mystery   of  the    Cross   of 

Christ    gives    us    faith    for    all    the   rest. 

Faith,   I    say.      The   mystery    of    evil,   of 

terror,    of    death,    the     gospel     does     not 

pretend  to  solve,  but  it  tells  us  that  the 

mystery    is    proved    to    be    soluble  ;     for 

God  Himself  has  taken  upon  Himself  the 

task  of  solving  it;   and  Christ  has  proved 
^  126  ^ 


THE    SUBMISSION    OF    FAITH. 


by  His  own  act,  that  if  there  be  evil  in 
the  world,  it  is  none  of  His,  for  He  hates 
it,  fiofhts  ao:ainst  it,  and  He  fou2:ht  acjainst 
it  to  the  death.  The  Cross  says,  Have 
faith  in  God.  Ask  no  more  of  Him, 
"  Why  hast  thou  made  me  thus  ?  "  Ask 
no  more,  "AVhy  do  the  wicked  prosper 
on  the  earth?"  Ask  no  more,  "Whence 
pain  and  death,  war  and  famine,  earth- 
quake and  tempest,  and  all  the  ills  to 
which  flesh  is  heir  ? "  All  fruitless  ques- 
tioning, all  peevish  repinings  are  precluded 
henceforth  by  the  death  and  passion  of 
Christ. 

Dost  thou  suffer  ?  Thou  canst  not  suffer 
more  than  the  Son  of  God.  Dost  thou 
sympathise  with  thy  fellow-sufferers  ?  Thou 
canst  not  sympathise  more  than  the   Son 

of  God.     Dost  thou  long  to  right  them,  to 
^  127  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


deliver  them,  even  at  the  price  of  thine 
own  blood  ?  Thou  canst  not  long  more 
ardently  than  the  Son  of  God,  who  carried 
His  longing  into  act,  and  died  for  them 
and  thee.  What  if  the  end  be  not  yet  ? 
What  if  evil  still  endure?  What  if  the 
medicine  have  not  yet  conquered  the 
disease  ?  Have  patience,  have  faith,  have 
hope,  as  thou  standest  at  the  foot  of 
Christ's  Cross,  and  boldest  fast  to  it,  as  the 
Anchor  of  thy  soul  and  reason,  as  well 
as  of  thy  heart.  For  however  ill  the 
world  may  go,  or  seem  to  go,  the  Cross 
is  the  everlasting  token  that  God  so  loved 
the  world,  that  He  spared  not  His  only 
begotten  Son,  but  freely  gave  Him  for 
it.  Whatsoever  else  is  doubtful  this  at 
least  is  sure,  that  God  must  conquer, 
because    God    is    good;    that    Evil    must 

12S 


THE    BOTTOMLESS    1»1T. 


perish,    because    God   hates   Evil,    even  to 
the    death. 

Westminster  Sermons. 

How  shall  the  bottomless  pit,  if  ^Ye  fall 
into  it,  be  a  pathway  to  the  everlasting 
rock?  David  tells  us,  "Out  of  the  deep 
have  I  cried  unto  Thee,  0  God."  He 
cried  to  God — not  to  himself,  his  own 
learning,  prudence,  talents— to  pull  him 
out  of  that  pit.  Not  to  doctrines,  books, 
church-goings— not  to  the  dearest  earthly 
friend — not  to  his  own  experiences,  faith's 
assurances,  frames  and  feelings.  The  mat- 
ter was  too  terrible  to  be  plastered  over 
in  that  way,  or  in  any  way.  He  was 
face  to  face  with  God  alone,  and  in  utter 
weakness,  in  utter  nakedness  of  soul,  he 
cried  to  God  Himself.  There  was  the 
lesson.      God    took    away    from    him    all 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


thin^js,    that    he    miojht    have    no    one    to 

cry   to   but   to   God. 

And    it    shall    be    with    every   soul    of 

man   who,    being   in    the    deep,    cries    out 

of    the    deep    to    God,    as    it    was    with 

Moses  when   he  went   up    alone   into   the 

Mount  of  God,  and  fasted  forty  days  and 

forty    nights    amid    the    earthquake    and 

the    thunderstorm,   and    the   rocks   which 

melted    before    the    Lord.      And    behold, 

when  it  was  past,  he  talked  face  to  face 

with    God,    as    a    man    talketh    with    his 

friend,   and    his    countenance   shone   with 

heavenly     light,     when     he     came     down 

triumphant   out   of  the   Mount   of  God. 
Good  Neios  of  God — Sermons, 

On    the   torturing   cross   Christ    prayed 

for  His  murderers,  "Father,  forgive  them, 

for  they  know  not  what  they  do."     And 
^  130  ^ 


LESSONS    OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


this    is    the    character    many  a  man  may 

get   in   the    dark    deep.      To   feel   for   all, 

to   feel   with   all;    to    rejoice    with    those 

who    rejoice,   and   weep   with    those   who 

weep,   to   undei-stand    people's    trials    and 

make    allowances    for    their    temptations; 

to   put  oneself  in  their   place   till  we  see 

with  their  eyes,  and  feel  with  their  hearts, 

till  we  judge  no  man,  and  have  hope  for 

all ;    to   be   fair   and    patient    and    tender 

with   everyone    we   meet;    to    despise    no 

one,    despair    of   no    one,   because    Christ 

despises    none   and    despairs   of    none;    to 

look   on   every   one   we    meet   w4th    love, 

almost  with   pity,  because   they   too   may 

have  been  down  into  the  deep  of  horror, 

or  may  go  down  into  it  any  day;  to  see 

our   own   sins   in   the    sins    of    others,    to 

feel  that  we  might  do  what  they  do,  and 
131 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


feel    as    they   feel    at    any    moment,    did 

God  desert  us;   to   give  and  forgive,  live 

and  let  live,  even  as    Christ   gives   to   us 

and  forgives  us,  and  lives  for  us  and  lets 

us  live  in  s]Dite  of  all  our  sins. 

Good  News  of  God. 

Rejoice  that  there  is  a  fire  of  God  the 
Father  whose  name  is  Love,  burning  for 
ever  unquenchably,  to  destroy  out  of  every 
man's  heart  and  out  of  the  hearts  of  all 
nations,  and  of  the  physical  and  moral 
world,  all  which  offends  and  makes  a  lie  ; 
and  that  into  that  fire  the  Son  will  surely 
cast  all  shams,  lies,  hypocrisies,  tyrannies, 
false  doctrines.  Is  it  not  good  news  that 
that  fire  is  unquenchable,  that  that  worm 
will  not  die  ?  The  fire  may  be  kindled  for 
us — the  worm  may  seize  our  hearts.  God 
grant  that  in  that  day  we  may  have  courage 


THE  unquen(;hable  fire. 


to  let  the  fire  and  the  worm  do  their  work 
— to  say  to  Christ,  "These  too  are  Thine, 
and  out  of  Thine  infinite  love  they  have 
come.  Thou  requirest  truth  in  the  in- 
ward parts,  and  I  will  thank  Thee  for 
any  means,  however  bitter,  which  Thou 
Tisest  to  make  me  true.  I  want  to  be  an 
lionest  man  and  a  right  man !  And,  0 
joy!  Thou  wan  test  me  to  be  so  also. 
0  joy !  that  though  I  long  cowardly  to 
quench  Thy  fire,  I  cannot  do  it.  Purge 
me  therefore,  0  Lord,  though  it  be  with 
fire.  Burn  up  the  chafi*  of  vanity  and 
self-indulgence,  of  hasty  prejudices,  second- 
hand dogmas, — husks  which  do  not  feed 
my  soul,  with  which  I  cannot  be  content, 
of  w^hich  I  feel  ashamed  daily — and  if 
there  be  any  grains  of  wheat  in  m^,  any 

Avord  or  thought  or  power  of  action  which 
^  133  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


may  be  of  use  as  seed  for  my  nation 
after  me,  gather  it,  O  Lord,  into  Thy 
garner."     Amen. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

The  Fire  of  God  hardens  a  man  and 
softens  him  at  the  same  time.  He  comes 
out  of  it  hardened  to  that  hardness  of 
which  it  is  written,  "  Do  thou  endure  hard- 
ness as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ ; " 
and  again,  ''  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I 
have  kept  the  faith,  I  have  finislied  my 
course ; " — yet  softened  to  that  softness  of 
which  it  is  written,  "  Be  ye  tenderhearted, 
compassionate,  forgiving  one  another,  even 
as  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  has  forgiven 
you  ;  "  and  again,  "We  have  a  High  Priest 
who  can  be  touched  with  the  feeling  of 
our   infirmities,  seeing  that  He   has   been 

tempted  in  all  things  like  as  we  are." 
^  134  ^ 


PURIFIED    BY    FIRE. 


Happy,  thrice  happy,  are  they  who  have 
thus  walked  through  the  Valley  of  the 
Shadow  of  Death,  and  found  it  a  path  that 
leads  to  everlasting  life.  Happy  are  they 
who  have  writhed  awhile  in  the  fierce 
fire  of  God,  and  have  had  burned  out  of 
them  the  chaff,  and  the  dross,  and  all  which 
offends  and  makes  them  vain  and  light, 
yet  makes  them  dull,  and  drags  them  down 
at  the  same  time ;  till  only  the  pure  gold  of 
God's  righteousness  is  left,  seven  times 
tried  in  the  fire,  incorruptible,  precious  in 
the  sight  of  God  and  man.  Such  need  not 
regret,  will  not  regret,  all  that  they  have 
crone  through.  It  has  made  them  brave, 
sober,  patient.     It  has  given  them 

The  reason  firm,  the  temperate  will, 
Endurance,  foresight,  strength  and  skill ; 

and  so  shaped   them  into  the   likeness   of 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


Christ,  who  was  made  perfect  by  suffering  ; 
and  though  He  were  a  Son,  yet  in  the  days 
of  His  flesh  made  strong  supplication,  and 
crying  with  tears  to  His  Father,  and  was 
heard  in  that  He  feared;  and  so,  though 
He  died  on  the  Cross  and  descended  into 
Hell,  yet  triumphed  over  Death  and  Hell 
by  dying  and  descending,  and  conquered 
them  by  submitting  to  them. 

Good  News  of  God — Sermons. 


136 


VI. 
OUT   OF  THE    DEEP 

OF 

DEATH. 


137 


My  heart  is  disquieted  within  me,  and  the  fear  of 
death  has  fallen  upon  me.— Ps.  iv.  4. 

My  flesh  and  my  heart  failetli,  but  God  is  the 
strength  of  my  heart. — Ps.  Ixiii.  25. 

Yea  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art  with  me. — 
Ps.  xxiii.  4. 

Thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  death,  mine  eyes 
from  tears,  and  my  feet  from  falling.— Ps.  cxvi.  8. 


138 


OUT  OF  THE  DEEP 

OF 

DEATH. 

What  will  become  of  us  after  we  die  ? 
What  will  the  next  world  be  like  ?  What 
is  heaven  like  ?  Shall  I  be  able  to  enjoy 
it  ?  Shall  I  be  a  man  there,  or  only  a 
ghost,  a  spirit  without  a  body  ? 

To  this  St.  Paul  answers,  that  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  after  that  He  was  mani- 
fested in  the  flesh,  was  received  up  into 
glory.  He  does  not  tell  us  what  heaven 
is  like,  for  though  he  had  been  caught  up 
into   the  third   heaven,  yet  what   he  saw 

there  was  unspeakable.     Neither   does   lie 
>I^  139  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


tell  US  what  the  next  life  will  be  like ; 
all  he  says  is,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus,  who 
walked  this  earth  like  other  men,  was 
received  up  into  glory,  and  He  did  not 
leave  His  man's  mind,  His  man's  heart, 
even  His  man's  body  behind  Him.  He 
carried  up  into  heaven  with  Him  His 
whole  manhood,  spirit,  soul,  and  body, 
even  to  the  print  of  the  nails  in  His  hands, 
and  in  His  most  holy  feet,  and  the  wound 
of  the  spear  in  His  most  holy  side. 
That  is  enough  for  us;  because  the  Man 
Christ  Jesus  is  in  heaven,  we,  as  men, 
may  ascend  to  heaven.  Where  He  is 
we  shall  be.  And  what  He  is,  in  as  far 
as  He  is  Man,  we  shall  be.  And  this  we 
do  know,  that  we  shall  be  like  Him,  for 
we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is. 

^"ational  Sermo)ii<. 
^  140 


TERROR    OF    DEATH. 


Men  are  afraid  of  dying,  principally,  I 
believe,  because  they  fear  the  unknown. 
It  is  not  that  they  are  afraid  of  the  pain  of 
dying.  It  is  not  that  they  are  afraid  of 
going  to  hell.  Neither  is  it  that  they 
are  afraid  of  not  going  to  heaven.  But 
when  they  think  of  actually  dying,  they 
feel  as  if  to  go  into  the  next  world  was 
to  be  turned  out  into  the  dark  night, 
into  an  unknown  land,  away  from  house 
and  home,  and  all  they  have  known   and 

loved;    and  so  they  shrink  from  death. 

All  Saints-Day  Sermons. 

When   you   are   in   terror,   trouble,  and 

affliction,   ay  1    and   in  the   black  jaws   of 

death,  and  know  not  where  to  turn,  that 

blessed  thought,  "  Christ  is  risen  from  the 

dead,"  will  be  a  shield  and  a  strength  to 

you    which   no   other    thought    can    give. 
^  141  1^ 


OUT    OF    THI':    DEEP. 


The  Lord  is  risen — a  man,  with  His  man's 
body,  and  His  man's  spirit.  His  human 
love  and  tenderness ;  He  has  taken  them 
all  up  to  Heaven  with  Him.  He  is  a  man 
still,  though  He  is  very  God  of  very  God, 
He  rose  from  the  dead  as  a  man,  and  there- 
fore He  can  understand  me  and  feel  for  me 
still — now — here  in  England  in  the  nine- 
teenth century  just  as  much  as  He  could 
when  He  was  walking  upon  earth  in  Judea 
of  old. 

When  this  world  is  vanishing  from  our 
eyes,  and  we  are  going  we  know  not  whither, 
leaving  behind  us  all  we  know,  and  love, 
and  understand;  then  the  thought  of  all 
thoughts — "  Christ  is  risen  from  the  dead  " 
is  the  only  one  which  will  save  us  from 
sad,  dark  thoughts,  from  fear  and  despair, 

or  from  stupid  carelessness,  and  the  death 
^  1-12  ^ 


HAS    DEATH    A    MEANING  1 


of  a  brute  beast,  such  as  too  many  die. 
"  Christ  is  risen  and  I  shall  rise.  Christ 
has  conquered  death  for  Himself j  and  lie 
will  conquer  it  for  me.  Christ  took  His 
man's  body  and  soul  with  Him  from  the 
tomb  to  God's  right  hand ;  and  He  will 
raise  my  body  and  soul  at  the  last  day, 
that  I  may  be  with  Him  for  ever,  and 
see  Him  where  He  is."  In  life  and  in  death 
this  is  the  only  thing  which  will  save  us 
from  sin,  from  terror,  from  the  dread  of 
the  hereafter. 

JS\i(io}ial  Sermons. 

Why  did  he  die,  we  ask  ?  There  must 
be  a  final  cause,  a  purpose  for  each  death 
of  every  son  of  man,  or  the  fact  would  be 
altogether  hideous — a  scribble  without  a 
meaning — a  skeleton  without  a  soul.  Why 
did  he  die  ?     "  I  became  dumb,  I  opened 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


not  my  mouth  ;  for  it  was  Thy  doing."  So 
says  the  Burial  Psahn,  So  let  us  say  like- 
wise. "  I  became  dumb :  "  not  with  rage, 
not  with  despair ;  but  because  it  was  Thy 
doing,  and  therefore  it  was  done  well.  It 
was  the  deed,  not  of  chance,  nor  of  necessit}'. 
Not  so.  For  it  was  the  deed  of  the  Father, 
without  whom  a  sparrow  falls  not  to  the 
ground ;  of  the  Son  who  died  upon  the  Cross 
in  the  utterness  of  His  desire  to  save  ;  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  the  Lord  and  Giver 
of  Life  to  all  created  things.  It  was  the 
deed  of  One  who  delights  in  Life  and  not 
in  Death  ;  in  bliss  and  not  in  woe  ;  in  light 
and  not  in  darkness ;  in  order  and  not  in 
anarchy ;  in  good  and  not  in  evil.  It  had 
a  final  cause,  a  meaning,  a  purpose ; 
and  that  purpose  is  very  good.  What 
it     is,    we     know     not ;     and     we     need 


THE    SILENX'E    OF    J^AITII. 

not    know       To    guess    at    it     would    be 
indeed   to   meddle  with   matters  too   hicfh 

o 

for  us.      So  let  us   be  dumb.     Dumb,  not 

from   despair,  but  from    faith;   dumb,  not 

like  a  wretch  wear}^  with  calling  for  help 

which   does   not   come,   but   dumb   like   a 

child    sitting    at    its    mother's    feet,    and 

looking    up    into    her   face   and    watching 

her   doings,   understanding   none    of  them 

as  yet,  but  certain  that  they  are  all  done 

in  love. 

Westminster  Sermons. 

Christ  is  risen!  What  a  thought  was 
that  for  the  blessed  martyi's,  for  poor 
creatures  in  the  agony  of  fear  and  shame, 
expecting  presently  to  be  torn  to  pieces 
or  burnt  alive.  "  Death,  this  horrible 
death,  cannot  conquer  me,  weak  and  fear- 
ful as  I  am,  for  m}^  Lord  and  blaster, 
^  K  145  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


for  whom  I  am  going  to  suffer,  has  con- 
quered death,  and  He  will  not  let  it  con- 
quer me.  He  is  stronger  than  hell  and 
death,  and  He  will  not  suffer  me  in  my  last 
hour,  for  any  pains  of  death,  to  fall  from 
Him.  He  is  King  of  Heaven  and  Earth, 
and  He  will  care  for  His  own."  What  com- 
fort to  he  able  to  say :  "Ay,  I  am  torn  from 
wife  and  child  and  all  which  I  love  on 
earth ;  but  not  for  ever,  not  for  ever ;  for 
Christ  rose  from  the  dead,  and  I,  who 
belong  to  Christ,  shall  rise  as  He  did.  This 
poor  flesh  of  mine  may  be  burnt  in  flames, 
devoured  by  ravenous  beasts.  What  matter  ? 
Christ  the  King  of  men  has  risen  from  the 
dead,  and  become  the  first  fruits  of  them 
that  slept.  That  same  Spirit  which  brought 
back  His  body  from  the  grave  and  hell,  will 

bring  my  body  also  from  the  grave  and  hell, 
^  146  ^ 


THE    FAT1-:    OF    THE    .MANY. 


to  a  nobler,  happier  life  with  liiiu  in  joy 
unspeakable,  where  Christ  now  sits  on 
God's  right  hand  defending  me,  pitying 
me,  and  blessing  me,  holding  out  to  me  a 
crown  of  glory  which  shall  never  fade 
away." 

National  Sermon.t. 

These  things  are  most  bitter,*  and  the 
only  comfort  that  I  can  see  in  them  is,  that 
they  are  bringing  us  all  face  to  face  with 
the  realities  of  human  life,  as  it  has  been 
in  all  ages,  and  giving  us  sterner  and  yet 
more  loving,  more  human,  and  more  divine 
thoughts  about  ourselves,  and  our  business 
here,  and  the  fate  of  those  who  arc  iione, 
and  awakening  us  out  of  the  luxui-ious, 
frivolous,  unreal  dream  (full,  nevertheless, 
of  hard  judgments)  in  wdiich  we  have  been 

*  Deaths  on  the  battlefield. 
147 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


livinc:  so  lon<x,  to  trust  in  a  Livin2:  Father, 

who  is  really  and  practically  governing  this 

world  and  all  worlds,  and  who  willeth  that 

none  should  perish  ;  and  therefore  has  not 

forgotten  or  suddenly  begun   to  hate  and 

torment  one  single  poor  soul  which  is  past 

out  of  this  life   into   some  other.     All  are 

in    our  Father's    hands ;    and,  oh !   blessed 

thought,  though  they  ''go  down  into  hell. 

Thou  art  there  also." 

Letters  and  Memories. 

Jesus  is  the  Saviour,  the  Deliverer,  the 
great  Physician,  the  healer  of  soul  and 
body.  Not  a  pang  is  felt,  or  a  tear  shed  on 
earth,  but  He  sorrows  over  it.  Not  a 
human  being  on  earth  dies  young  but  He, 
as  I  believe,  sorrows  over  it.  What  is  it 
which  prevents  Him  healing  every  sick- 
ness, soothing  every  sorrow,  wiping  away 
^  148  ^J. 


WARFARE    AND    VICTORY. 


every  tear  now,  we  cannot  tell.  But  this 
we  can  tell,  that  it  is  His  will  that  none 
!-:houlil  perish.  This  we  C(tn  tell,  that  He  is 
willing  as  ever  to  heal  the  sick,  to  cleanse 
the  leper,  to  cast  out  devils,  to  teach  the 
ignorant,  to  bind  up  the  hroken-heg^-ted. 
This  we  can  tell,  that  He  will  go  on  doing 
so  more  and  more,  year  b}^  year,  and  age  by 
age.  This  we  can  tell,  from  Scripture,  that 
Christ  is  stronger  than  the  devil.  This  we 
can  tell,  that  Christ  and  all  good  men,  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  the  wise 
and  the  j^reat  in  God's  si^'ht,  who  have  left 
us  their  books,  their  sayings,  their  writings, 
as  precious  health-giving  heir-looms,  have 
been  ficchtinir,  and  are  fiirhtinix,  and  will 
fiMit  to  the  end,  a^^ainst  the  devil,  and  sin, 
and  oppression,  and  misery,  and  disease, 
and   everything  which   spoils  and  darkens 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


the  face  of  God's  good  earth.  And  this  we 
can  tell,  that  they  will  conquer  at  the  last, 
because  Christ  is  stronger  than  the  devil ; 
o'ood  is  stroncrer  than  evil ;  light  is  strono^er 
than  darkness;  God's  Spirit,  the  giver  of 
life  and  health  and  order,  is  stronger  than 
all  the  evil  customs  and  carelessness  and 
cruelty  and  superstition  which  make 
miserable  the  lives,  and,  as  far  as  we  can 
see,  destroy  the  souls  of  thousands.  Yes  ; 
I  say  Christ's  kingdom  is  a  kingdom  of 
health  and  deliverance  for  body  and  soul ; 
and  it  will  conquer,  and  it  will  spread,  and 
it  will  grow,  till  the  nations  of  the  world 
have  become  the  kingdoms  of  God  and  of 
His  Christ.  Christ  reigns,  and  will  reign, 
till  He  has  put  all  enemies  under  His  feet, 
and  the  last  of  His  enemies  which  shall 
be    destroyed    is    Death.      Death    is    His 

^  150  ►!. 


LESSON    OF    THE    TRANSFIGURATION. 


enemy  which  He  has  conquered  by  rising 
from  the  dead ;  and  the  day  will  come 
when  Death  will  be  no  more — when  sick- 
ness and  sorrow  shall  be  unknown,  and  God 
shall  wipe  tears  from  all  eyes.  I  say  it 
again — never  forget  it — Christ  is  King,  and 
His  kingdom  is  a  kingdom  of  health,  of 
life  and  deliverance  from  all  evil.  It  al- 
ways has  been  so  from  the  first  time  our 
Lord  cured  the  leper  in  Galilee ;  it  will  be 

so  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

National  Sermons. 

What  did  the  spiritual  glory  of  Christ's 
countenance  at  His  transfiguration  show 
His  disciples,  but  that  He  was  a  spiritual 
King,  whose  strength  lay  in  the  spirit  of 
power,  and  wisdom,  and  beauty,  and  love, 
which  God  liad  given  Him  without  mea- 
sure ;  and  that  there  was  such  a  thing  as 
>I<  l^'^l  ^ 


OUT    OF    TIIK    DEEP. 


a  Spiritual  body — such  a  body  as  each  of 
us  some  day  shall  have  if  we  be  found  in 
Christ  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just — a 
body  which  shall  not  hide  a  man's  spirit 
as  it  does  here,  when  it  becomes  subject  to 
the  wear  and  tear  of  life,  and  disease,  and 
decay ;  but  a  spiritual  body — a  body  which 
shall  be  filled  with  our  spirits,  which  shall 
be  perfectly  obedient  to  our  spirits — a  body 
through  which  the  glory  of  our  spirits  shall 
shine  out,  as  the  glory  of  Christ's  spirit 
shone  out  throuojh  His  in  the  transfiofura- 
tion.  "Brethren,  we  know  not  what  we 
shall  be,  but  this  we  do  know,  that  when 
He  shall  appear  we  shall  be  like  Him,  for 
we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is." 

Village  Sermons. 

I  believe,  says  the  Creed,  in  the  Resur- 
rection of  the  Flesh.     The  Bible  teaches  us 


THE    SPIRITUAL    BODY. 


to  believe,  that  we,  each  of  us,  as  liuman 
beings,  men  and  women,  shall  have  our  share 
in  that  glorious  day  ;  not  merely  as  ghosts, 
disembodied  spirits  (of  which  the  Bible, 
thanks  be  to  God,  says  little  or  notliing), 
but  as  real  live  human  beings,  with  new 
bodies  of  ou:i'  own,  on  a  new  earth,  under  a 
new  heaven.  Therefore,  says  David,  my 
flesh  shall  rest  in  hope  ;  not  merely  my 
soul,  my  ghost,  but  my  flesh.  For  the 
Lord,  who  not  only  died,  but  rose  again 
with  His  body,  shall  raise  our  bodies,  ac- 
cording to  the  mighty  working  by  which  He 
subdues  all  things  to  Himself;  and  then  the 
whole  manhood  of  each  of  us,  body,  soul, 
and  spirit,  shall  have  our  perfect  consum- 
mation and  bliss  in  His  eternal  and  ever- 
lasting glory.     That  is  our  hope. 

Xational  Sermon;^. 


153 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEr 


Those  who  die  in  the  fear  of  God  and  in 
the  faith  of  Christ  do  not  really  taste  of 
death ;  to  them  there  is  no  death,  but  only 
a  change  of  place,  a  change  of  state  ;  they 
pass  at  once  into  some  new  life,  with  all 
their  powers,  all  their  feelings,  unchanged ; 
still  the  same  living,  thinking,  active  beings 
which  they  were  here  on  earth.  .  .  . 
Rest  they  may — rest  they  will,  if  they  need 
rest.  But  what  is  their  rest  ?  Not  idle- 
ness, but  peace  of  mind.  To  rest  from  sin, 
from  sorrow,  from  fear,  from  doubt,  from 
care  ;  this  is  true  rest.  Above  all,  to  rest 
from  the  worst  weariness  of  all — knowing 
one's  duty,  and  not  being  able  to  do  it. 
Tliat  is  true  rest — the  rest  of  God,  who 
works  for  ever,  and  is  at  rest  for  ever ;  as 
the  stars  over  our  heads  move  for  ever, 
thousands  of  miles  a  day,  and  yet  are   at 


DEATH    A    NEW    BIRTH. 


perfect   rest,    because   they   move   orderly, 

harmoniously,  fulfilling  the  law  which  God 

has   given    them.     Perfect   rest,  in  perfect 

work  ;    that  surely  is  the  rest   of  blessed 

spirits,  till  the   final  consummation  of  all 

things,  when   Christ   shall  have  made  u}) 

the   number  of  His  elect.     And   if  it   be 

so,    Avhat   comfort   for    us    who    must    die, 

what  comfort  for  us  who  have  seen  others 

die,  if  death  be  but  a  new  birth  into  some 

higher  life  ;  if  all  that  it  changes  in  us  is 

our  body — the  mere  husk  and  shell  of  us — 

such  a  change  as  comes  over  the  snake  when 

he  casts  his  old  skin,  and  comes  out  fresh 

and  gay,  or  even  the  crawling  caterpillar. 

which  breaks    its   prison,   and  spreads    its 

wings   to   the    sun    as    a    fair    butterfly  { 

Where  is  the  sting  of  death  then,  if  death 

can  sting,  and  poison,  and  corrupt  nothing 
^  155  ^ 


OUT    OF   THE    DEEP. 


of  US  for  which  our  friends  love  us  ;  nothinir 

of  US  with  which  we  could  do  service  to 

men  or  God  ?     AVhere  is  the  victory  of  the 

grave,  if  so  far  from  the  grave  holding  us 

down,  it  frees  us  from  the  very  thing  which 

does  hold  us  down — the  mortal  body  ? 

Water  of  Life — Seo'mons. 

Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field.  We  must 
take  our  Lord's  words  exactly.  He  is 
speaking  of  the  lilies,  the  bulbous  plants 
which  spring  into  flower  in  countless  thou- 
sands every  spring  over  the  downs  of 
Eastern  lands.  All  the  winter  tliey  are 
dead,  unsightly  roots,  hidden  in  the  earth. 
But  no  sooner  does  the  sun  of  spring- 
shine  upon  their  graves,  than  they  rise  into 
sudden  life  and  beauty,  as  it  pleases  God, 
and  every  seed  takes  its  owm  peculiar  body. 
Sown    in    corruption,    tliey   are    raised    in 


LESSONS    OF    SPRINGTIME. 


incorruption ;  sown  in  weakness,  they  are 
raised  in  power ;  sown  in  dishonour,  they 
are  raised  in  glory;  delicate,  beautiful  in 
colour,  perfuming  the  air  with  fragrance; 
types  of  immortality,  fit  for  the  crowns 
of  angels. 

Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they 
crrow.  For  even  so  is  the  Resurrection  of 
the  dead.  Yes,  not  without  a  divine  provi- 
dence— yea,  a  divine  inspiration — has  the 
blessed  Eastertide  been  fixed,  by  the  Church 
of  all  a^'-es,  as  the  season  w^hen  the  earth 
shakes  off  her  winter's  sleep ;  when  the 
birds  come  back,  and  the  flowers  begin  to 
bloom,  when  every  seed  which  falls  into 
the  ground  and  dies,  and  rises  again  with 
a  new  body,  is  a  witness  to  us  of  the 
Resurrection  of  Christ;  and  a  witness,  too, 

that  we    shall  rise    again ;    that    in   us,   as 
^  157  ►J^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP 


in  it,  life  shall  conquer  death;  when  every 
bird  that  comes  back  to  sing  and  build 
among  us,  every  flower  that  blows,  is  a  wit- 
ness to  us  of  the  "Resurrection  of  the  Lord 
and  of  our  Resurrection.  .  .  .  They  obey 
the  call  of  the  Lord,  the  Giver  of  Life,  when 
they  return  to  life,  as  a  type  and  a  token 
to  us  of  Christ  their  Maker,  who  was  dead 
and  is  alive  a^-ain,  who  was  lost  in  hell  on 
Easter  eve,  and  w^as  found  again  in  heaven 
for  evermore.  And  so  the  resurrection  of 
the  earth  from  her  winter's  sleep,  com- 
memorates to  us,  as  each  blessed  Eastertide 
comes  round,  the  Resurrection  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  is  a  witness  to  us  that 
some  day  life  shall  conquer  death,  light 
conquer  darkness,  righteousness  conquer 
sin,  joy  conquer  grief;  when  the  whole 
creation,  which  groaneth  and  travaileth  in 


NOT    DEATH    BUT    LIFE. 


pain  until  now,   shall   have  brought  forth 

that  of  Avhich  it  travaileth  in  labour — even 

the     new    heavens    and    the    new    earth, 

wherein  shall  be  neither  sighing  nor  sorrow, 

but  God  shall   wipe  away  tears   from    all 

eyes. 

Discipline  and  other  Sermons. 

Death  is  not  death  if  it  kills  no  part  of 
us  save  that  which  hindered  us  from  per- 
fect life.  Death  is  not  death,  if  it  raises  us 
in  a  moment  from  darkness  into  light,  from 
weakness  into  strength,  from  sinfulness  into 
holiness.  Death  is  not  death,  if  it  brings 
us  nearer  to  Christ  who  is  the  fount  of  life. 
Death  is  not  death,  if  it  perfects  our  faith 
by  sight,  and  lets  us  behold  Him  in  whom 
we  have  believed.  Death  is  not  death,  if 
it  Gfives  us  to  those  whom  we  have  loved 

and  lost,  for  whom  Ave  have  lived,  for  whom 
^  i.>9  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


we  long  to  live  again.  Death  is  not  death, 
if  it  joins  the  child  to  the  mother  who  was 
gone  before.  JJeath  is  not  death,  if  it 
takes  away  from  that  mother  for  ever  all  a 
mother's  anxieties,  a  mother's  fears,  and  lets 
her  see,  in  the  gracious  countenance  of  her 
Saviour,  a  sure  and  certain  pledge  that 
those  whom  she  has  left  behind  are  safe, 
safe  with  Christ  and  in  Christ,  through  all 
the  chances  and  dangers  of  this  mortal  life. 
Death  is  not  death,  if  it  rids  us  of  doubt 
and  fear,  of  chance  and  change,  of  space 
and  time,  and  all  which  space  and  time 
bring  forth,  and  then  destroy.  Death  is 
not  deatli ;  for  Christ  has  conquered  death 
for  Himself,  and  for  those  who  trust  in 
Him. 

Water  of  Life — Sermoyis. 


IfiO 


THE    FOUNT    OF    LIFE. 


Out  of  God's  boundless  bosom,  the  fount 

of  life,  we  came;    through   selfish,  stormy 

youth  and  contrite  tears — just  not  too  late ; 

through   manhood  not   altogether    useless ; 

through  slow  and  chill  old  age,  we  return 

from  Whence  we  came;    to  the  Bosom  of 

God  once  more — to  go  forth  again,  it  may 

be,  with  fresh  knowledge,  and  fresh  powers, 

to  nobler  work.     Amen. 

Essays. 


161 


-h 

VII. 
PRAYER  OUT   OF  THE  DEEP. 

* 

i< 

IC3 

'i' 

^ 


Hear  my  prayer,  O  God  ;  and  hide  not  Thyself  from 
my  petition.  Take  heed  unto  me  and  hear  me  ;  how 
I  mourn  in  my  prayer  and  am  vexed. — Psalm  iv.  1,  2. 

In  my  trouble  I  will  call  upon  the  Lord,  and  com- 
plain unto  my  God  ;  so  shall  He  hear  my  voice  out  of 
His  holy  temple,  and  my  complaint  shall  come  before 
Him  ;  it  shall  enter  even  into  His  ears. — Ps.  xviii.  5,  G. 

The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that  call  iipon  Him  ;  He 
also  will  hear  their  cry,  and  will  help  them.— Psalm 
cxlv.  18,  19. 

In  the  day  when  I  cried  Thou  answeredst  me,  and 
strengthenedst  me  with  strength  in  my  soul. — Psalm 
cxxxviii.  3. 


104 


VII. 
PRAYER   OUT   OF  THE   DEEP. 

The  older  I  grow,  and  the  more  I  see  of 
the  chances  and  changes  of  this  mortal  life, 
and  of  the  needs  and  longings  of  the  human 
heart,  the  more  important  seems  this  ques- 
tion :  Is  there  anywhere  in  the  universe 
any  being  who  can  hear  our  prayers  ?  Is 
prayer  a  superfluous  folly,  or  the  highest 
prudence  ?  I  say  :  Is  there  a  being  who 
can  ever  hear  our  prayers  ?  I  do  not  say 
a  being  who  will  always  answer  them,  and 
give  us  all  we  ask ;   but  one  who  Avill  at 

least  hear,  who  will  listen,  consider  what  is 
^  1G5  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


fit  to  be  granted  or  not,  and  grant  or  refuse 
accordingly  ? 

Is  that  strange  instinct  of  worship  which 
rises  in  the  heart  of  man  as  soon  as  he  be- 
gins to  think,  to  become  a  civilized  being 
and  not  a  savage,  to  be  disregarded  as  a 
childish  dream  when  he  rises  to  a  higher 
civilization  still  ?  Is  the  experience  of  men, 
heathen  as  well  as  Christian,  for  all  these 
ages  to  go  for  nought  ?  Has  every  utter- 
ance that  has  ever  gone  up  from  suffering 
and  doubting  humanity  gone  up  in  vain  ? 
Have  the  prayers  of  saints,  the  hymns  of 
psalmists,  the  agonies  of  martyrs,  the  aspira- 
tions of  poets,  the  thoughts  of  sages,  the 
cries  of  the  oppressed,  the  pleadings  of  the 
mother  for  her  child,  the  maiden  praying  in 
her  chamber  for  her  lover  upon  the  distant 
battle-field,  the  soldier  answering  her  prayer 


THE    INSTINCT    OF    PRAYER. 


from  afar  off  with  "  Keep  quiet,  I  am  in 
God's  hands" — those  very  utterances  of 
humanity  which  seemed  to  us  most  noble, 
most  pure,  most  beautiful,  most  divine — 
been  all  in  vain  ?  Mere  impertinences,  the 
babblings  of  fair  dreams,  poured  forth  into 
no  where,  to  no  thing,  and  in  vain  ?  Has 
every  suffering,  searching  soul  which  ever 
gazed  up  into  the  darkness  of  the  unknown, 
in  hopes  of  catching  even  a  glimpse  of  a 
divine  Eye,  beholding  all,  and  ordering  all, 
and  pitying  all,  gazed  up  in  vain  ?  Oh  ! 
my  friends,  those  who  believe,  or  fancy  they 
believe,  such  things,  and  can  preach  such 
doctrines  without  pity  and  sorrow,  know 
not  of  what  they  rob  a  mankind  already 
but  too  miserable  by  its  own  folly  and  its 
own  sin — a  mankind  which  if  it  have  not 
hope  in   God  and   in   Christ,  is   truly,  as 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


Homer  said  of  old,  more  miserable  than  the 
beasts  of  the  field. 

Westminster  Sermons. 

When  the  human  heart  asks,  Have  we 
not  only  a  God  in  Heaven,  but  a  Father  in 
Heaven  ?  that  question  can  only  be  answered 
by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Truly  He  said, 
"  No  one  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by 
Me.  The  only  begotten  Son,  who  is  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  He  hath  revealed 
Him."  And   therefore   we   can   find 

boundless  comfort  in  the  words,  "  Such  as 
the  Father  is,  such  is  the  Son  and  such 
the  Holy  Ghost."  For  now  we  know  that 
there  is  A  Man  in  the  midst  of  the  throne 
who  is  the  brightness  of  God's  glory  and 
the  express  image  of  His  person — a  high 
priest  who  can  be  touched  by  the  feeling  of 
our  infirmities,  seeing  He  was  tempted  in 

>}4  1C)S  ^ 


THE    SPIRIT    OF    THE    FATHER    AND    THE    SOX. 

all  things  like  as  we  are.  To  Him  we  can 
cry  Avitli  human  passion  and  in  human 
words,  because  we  know  that  His  human 
heart  will  respond  to  our  human  hearts, 
and  that  His  human  heart  again  will  re- 
spond to  His  Divine  Spirit,  and  that  His 
Divine  Spirit  is  the  same  as  the  Divine 
Spirit  of  His  Father,  for  their  wills  and 
minds  are  One,  and  their  will  and  their 
mind  is  boundless  love  to  sinful  men. 

Yes,  we  can  look  up  in  our  extreme  need 
by  faith  into  the  sacred  face  of  Christ,  and 
by  faith  take  refuge  within  His  sacred 
heart,  saying.  If  it  be  good  for  me,  He  will 
oive  what  I  ask ;  and  if  He  gives  it  not,  it 
is  because  that  too  is  good  for  me,  and  for 
othei's  beside  me.  In  all  the  chances  and 
changes  of  this  mortal  life  we  can  say  to 

Him,  as  He  said  in  that  supreme  hour — 
^  1C.9  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


"  If  it  be  possible  let  this  cup  pass  from  Me, 
nevertheless  not  My  will  but  Thine  be 
done ; "  sure  that  He  will  present  that 
prayer  to  His  Father  and  to  our  Father, 
and  to  His  God  and  our  God  ;  and  that 
whatsoever  be  the  answer  vouchsafed  by 
Him  whose  ways  are  not  as  our  wa^^s, 
nor  His  thoughts  as  our  thoughts,  the 
prayer  wdll   not   have   gone  up   to   Christ 

in  vain. 

Westminster  Sermons. 

I  have  been  praying  long  and  earnestly, 

and  have  no  fears  now.     "Whatsoever  ye 

shall  ask  in  my  name,  helievioig,  ye  shall 

receive."     "  Lord,  I  believe,  help  Thou  m^^ 

unbelief"       Those    two    texts    were    my 

stronghold  when  the  night  of  misery  was 

most  utterly  dark,  and  in  the  strength  of 

them  we  shall  prevail.  Fret   not 

►J^  170  ^ 


THE  PATTERN  OK  ALL  PRAYERS. 

then,  neither  be  anxious  ;  what  God  intends 
He  will  do. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

The  longer  I  live  the  more  I  see  that  the 
Lord's  Prayer  is  the  pattern  of  all  prayers  ; 
a,nd  whether  it  be  consistent  with  that  to 
ask  that  God  should  alter  the  coui'se  of 
the  universe  in  the  same  breath  that  we 
say,  **  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  " — ^judge 
you.  I  do  not  object  to  praying  for 
special  things.  God  forbid  !  I  do  it  my- 
self. I  cannot  help  doing  it  any  more  than 
a  child  in  the  dark  can  help  calling  for  its 
mother.  Only  it  seems  to  me,  that  when 
we  pray,  "  Grant  this  day  that  we  run 
into  no  kind  of  danger,"  we  ought  to  lay 
our  stress  on  the  "  run,"  rather  than  on 
the  "  danger "  ;   and  ask  God  not  to  take 

away   the    danger   by  altering   the    course 
^  171  ..T. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


of  nature,  but  to  give  us  light  and  guidance 

whereby  to  avoid  it. 

Letters  and  Memories. 

/'  Pray  night  and  day  very  quietly,  like  a 
little,  weary  child,  for  everything  you  want, 
in  body  as  well  as  in  soul — the  least  thing 
as  well  as  the  neatest — nothino^  is  too 
much  to  ask  God  for — nothins:  too  orreat 
for  Him  to  grant — and  try  to  thank  Him 
for  everything.  Glory  be  to  thee,  0 
God! 

Letters  and  Memories. 

When  you  are  in  the  deep — whatever 
that  depth  be — cry  to  God :  to  God  Him- 
self, and  none  but  God.  If  you  can  go  to 
the  pure  fountain-head,  why  drink  of  the 
stream,  which  must  have  gathered  some- 
thing of  defilement  as  it  flows  ?     If  you 

can  go  to  God  Himself,  why  go  to  any  of 
^  172  ^ 


JEWISH    AND    CHRISTIAN    PRAYEK 


God's  creatures,  however  holy,  pure,  and 
lovhio'  ?  Go  to  God,  who  is  licrht  of  li^rht, 
life  of  life.  From  Him  all  goodness  flows. 
Go  then  to  Him  Himself.  Out  of 
the  deep,  however  deep,  cry  unto  God,  unto 
God  Himself./  If  David  the  Jew  of  old 
could  do  so,  much  more  we  who  are  bap- 
tized into  Christ ;  much  more  can  we  who 
have  access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father ; 
much  more  can  we  who,  if  we  know  who 
we  are  and  where  we  are,  should  come 
boldly  to  the  Throne  of  Grace,  to  find 
mercy  and  grace  to  help  us  in  the  time 
of  need.  Hath  He  promised,  and  shall 
He   not  do  it  ?  To  every  one  of 

you  —  however  weak,  however  ignorant, 
aye,  however  sinful,  if  you  desire  to  be 
delivered  from  those  sins — this  grace  is 
given  ;  liberty  to  cry  out  of  the  depth  to 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


God  Himself,  who  made  sun  and  stars,  all 
heaven  and  earth ;  liberty  to  stand  face  to 
face  with  the  Father  of  the  spirits  of  all 
flesh,  and  cling  to  the  One  Being  who  can 
never  fail  nor  change,  even  to  the  One  im- 
mortal, eternal  God. 

Westminster  Sermons. 

y^  The  seed  which  we  sow — the  seed  of 
repentance,  the  seed  of  humility,  the  seed 
of  sorrowful  prayers  for  help — shall  take 
root  and  grow  and  bring  forth  fruit,  we 
know  not  how,  in  the  good  time  of  God 
who  cannot  change.  We  may  be  sad — we 
may  be  weary ;  our  eyes  may  wait  and 
watch  for  the  Lord  more  than  they  who 
watch  for  the  morning ;  but  it  must  be  as 
those  who  watch  for  the  morning,  for  the 
morning  which  must  and  will  come  ;  for  the 
sun  will  surely  rise,  and  the  day  will  surely 


HELP    FOR    THE    P^ALLEX. 


dawn,  aDcl  the  Saviour  will  surely  deliver 
those  who  cry  unto  Him. 

Westminstei'  Sermon/^. 

For  the  poor  soul  who  is  abased,  who  is 

down,  and  in  the  depth ;  who  feels  his  own 

weakness,  folly,  ignorance,  sinfulness,  and 

out  of  the  deep  cries  unto  God  as  a  lost 

child  crying  after  its  father — even  as  a  lost 

lamb  bleating  after  the  ewe — of  that  poor 

soul,   be   his   prayers    never    so    confused, 

stupid,   and   ill    expressed — of    him    it    is 

written :    "  The   Lord   helpeth    them   that 

fall ;    He  is   nigh  unto  all  that  call  upon 

llim;    He   will   fulfil   the  desire  of  those 

that  fear  Him ;  He  also  will  hear  their  cry, 

and  will  help  them." 

Westminster  Sermons. 


175 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


PRAYERS  AND   CONFESSIONS 

FOR   PARDON   AND   LIKENESS   TO    GOD. 

0  Lamb  eternal,  be3'ond  all  place  and 
time !  O  Lamb  of  God,  slain  eternally  be- 
fore the  foundation  of  the  world  1  O  Lamb 
that  liest  slain  eternally  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne  of  God  1  Let  the  blood  of  life, 
which  flows  from  Thee,  procure  me  pardon 
for  the  past ;  let  the  water  of  life,  which 
flows  from  Thee,  give  me  strength  for  the 
future.  T  come  to  cast  away  my  own  life, 
my  life  of  self  and  selfishness,  which  is 
corrupt  according  to  the  deceitful  lusts,  that 
I  may  live  it  no  more,  and  to  receive  Thy 
life,  which   is  created  after  the  likeness  of 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


God,  in  righteousness  and  true  holiness, 
that  I  may  live  it  for  ever  and  ever,  and 
find  it  a  well  of  life  springing  up  in  me  to 
everlasting  life.  Eternal  Goodness,  make 
me  orood  like  Thee.  Eternal  Wisdom,  make 
me  wise  like  Thee.  Eternal  Justice,  make 
me  just  like  Thee.  Eternal  Love,  make  me 
loving  like  Thee.  Amen. 

FOR   LIGHT. 

0  Lord !  Love  who  embracest  the  uni- 
verse, Light  who  lightest  every  man  that 
comes  into  the  world,  take  away  from  me 
all  darkness  of  soul  and  hardness  of  heart. 
Fill  me  with  Thy  light,  that  I  may  sec  all 
things  in  light.  Fill  me  with  Thy  love, 
that  I  may  love  all  things  which  Thou 
hast  made.  Amen. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


Come  to  us,  O  Lord !  open  the  eyes  of 
our  souls,  and  show  us  the  things  which 
belong  to  our  peace  and  the  path  of  life, 
that  we  may  see  that,  though  all  man's 
inventions  and  plans  come  to  an  end,  yet 
Thy  commandment  is  exceedingly  broad — 
broad  enough  for  rich  and  poor,  for  scholar, 
tradesman,  and  labourer,  for  our  prosperity 
in  this  life  and  our  salvation  in  the  life 
to  come.  Amen. 

FOR   TIIUE   GLORY. 

0  God,  quench  in  us  all  which  is  selfish, 
idle,  mean,  and  quicken  to  life  in  us  all 
which  is  God-like  and  for  God,  that  so 
we  may  attain  at  last  to  the  true  glory, 
the  glory  which  comes,  not  from  selfish 
ambition,  not  from  selfish  pride,  not  from 
selfish  ease,  but  from  getting   rid   of  sel- 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


fishness  in  all  its  shapes — the  glory  which 
Christ  alone  has  in  perfection — the  glory 
before  which  every  knee  will  one  day  bow 
whether  in  earth  or  heaven — even  the  glory 
of  doing  our  duty,  regardless  of  what  it  costs 
us,  in  the  station  to  which  each  of  us  has 
been  called  by  his  Father  in  Heaven. 

Amen. 

FOR   HOLINESS. 

0  Lord  Jesus  Christ !  Exalt  me  with 
Thee  so  to  know  the  mystery  of  life,  that 
I  may  use  the  earthly  as  the  appointed 
expression  and  type  of  the  heavenly ;  and 
by  using  to  Thy  glory  the  natural  body, 
I  may  be  fit  to  be  exalted  to  the  use  of 
the  spiritual  body.  Amen. 

FOR   PURITY   AND   GOODNESS. 

Puree  Thou  me,  0  Lord,  or  I  shall 
never  be  pure ;  wash  Thou  mo,  anil  then 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


alone  shall  I  be  clean.  For  Thou  requirest 
not  frames  or  feelings,  not  pride  and  self- 
conceit,  but  truth  in  the  inward  parts ; 
and  wilt  make  me  to  understand  wisdom 
secretly. 

0  God,  Thou  art  good,  and  I  am  bad  ; 
and  for  that  very  reason  I  come.  I  come 
to  be  made  good.  I  adore  Thy  goodness, 
and  I  long  to  copy  it :  but  I  cannot  unless 
Thou  helpest  me.  Purge  me.  Make  me 
clean.  Cleanse  me  from  my  secret  faults, 
and  give  me  truth  in  the  inward  parts. 
Do  what  Thou  wilt  with  me.  Train  me 
as  Thou  wilt.  Punish  me  if  it  be  necessary. 
Only  make  me  good.  Amen. 

Thou  knowest.  Lord,  the  secrets  of  our 

hearts.     Shut  not  Thy  merciful  ears  to  our 

prayer ;  but  spare  us,  0  Lord,  most  holy  ! 

O  God,  most  mighty  !  Thou  worthy  Judge 
^  .  180  ^ 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


Eternal,  and  suffer  us  not,  for  any  tempta- 
tion of  the  world,  the  flesh,  or  the  devil,  to 
fall  from  Thee.  I,  Lord,  am  I :  and  what 
I  am — a  very  poor,  pitiful,  sinful  person. 
But  Thou,  Lord,  art  Thou  ;  and  what 
Thou  art — Perfect !  Thou  art  Goodness 
itself  And  therefore  Thou  canst,  and 
Thou  wilt,  make  me  what  I  ou^fht  to 
be  at  last,  a  good  person.  To  Thee  I  can 
bring  the  burden  of  this  undying  I,  which 
I  carry  with  me,  too  often  in  shame  and 
sadness.  I  ask  Thee  to  hel])  me  to  bear  it. 
Guide  me,  teach  me,  strengthen  me,  till  I 
become  such  as  Thou  wouldst  have  me  be : 
pure  and  gentle,  truthful  and  high-minded, 
brave  and  able,  courteous  and  generous, 
dutiful  and  useful  like  Thy  Son,  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 


ISl 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


PKAYER   AGAINST   BEING   CONFOUNDED. 

O  Lord,  I   am   oppressed,  crushed — the 

heart  is  beaten  out  of  me.     I  have  nothing 

to  say  for  myself     Undertake  for  me.     O 

Lord,  confound  me  not.    I  know  I  am  weak, 

ignorant,   unsuccessful;   full   of  faults   and 

failings,  which  make  me  ashamed  of  myself 

every  day  of  my  life.     I  have  gone  astray, 

like  a  sheep  that  is  lost.     But  seek  Thy 

servant,  0  Lord,  for  I  do  not  forget  Thy 

commandments.     I  am  trying  to  learn  my 

duty.     I  am  trying  to  do  my  duty.     I  have 

stuck  unto  Thy  testimonies.     0  Lord,  have 

mercy  and   confound  me  not.       Man  may 

confound  me.     But   do    not   Thou  of  Thy 

mercy  and  pity,  0  Lord.     Let  me  not  find 

when  I  die,  or  before  I  die,  that  all  my 

labour  has  been  in  vain ;    that  I  am   not 

wiser,  not  more  useful  after  all.     Let  not 
^  182  ^ 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


my  gray  hairs  go  down  with  sorrow  to 
the  grave.  Let  me  not  die  with  the 
miserable  thought  that  in  spite  of  all 
my  struggles  to  do  my  duty,  my  life  has 
been  a  failure  and  I  a  fool.  Let  me  not 
wake  in  the  next  life,  to  be  utterly  con- 
founded:  to  find  that  I  was  all  wrong, 
and  have  nothing  left  but  disappointment 
and  confusion  of  face.  O  Lord,  who  didst 
endure  all  shame  for  me,  save  me  from 
that  most  utter  shame.  Thou  art  good 
and  just.  Thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul 
in  hell.  0  God,  in  Thee  have  I  trusted; 
let  me  never  be  confounded.        Amen. 

FOR   PEACE   OF   MIND. 

0  Father,  grant  me  Thy  peace.     I  have 
not     a     peaceful    spirit     in    me;      and    I 
know  that  I  shall  never  get  it  by  think- 
^  1S3  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


ing,    and   reading,   and   understanding,  for 

it    passes    all    that;     and    peace    lies   far 

away    beyond     it,    in     the    very    essence 

of   Thine    undivided,    unmoved,     absolute, 

Eternal    Godhead,    which    no   change   nor 

decay    of  this   created   world,   nor   sin   or 

folly  of   men    or   devils,    can    ever    alter ; 

but  which  abideth  for  ever  what  it  is,  in 

perfect  rest,  and  perfect  power,  and  perfect 

love.     Soothe  this  restless,  greedy,  fretful 

soul  of  mine,  as  a  mother  soothes  a  sick 

and  feverish  child.     How  Thou  wilt  do  it  I 

do  not  know.     It  passes  all  understanding. 

But  though  the  sick  child  cannot  reach  the 

mother,  the  mother  is  at  hand  and  can  reach 

it.      And  Thou  art  more  than  a  mother: 

Thou  art  the  Everlastino*  Father.     Though 

the  eagle  by  flying  cannot  reach  the  sun, 

yet  the  sun  is  at  hand,  and  can  reach  all  the 
vj.  "^  184  ^ 


PRAYEllS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


earth,  and  pour  its  light  and  warmtli  over 

all  things.     Thou  art  more  than  the  sun  ; 

Thou  art  the  Lio-ht  and  Life  of  all  thini^s. 

Pour  Thy  Light  and  Thy  Life  over  me,  that 

I  may  see  as  Thou  seest,  and  live  as  Thou 

livest,  and  be  at  peace  with   myself  and 

all  the  world,  as  Thou  art  at  peace  with 

Thyself  and  all  the  world.     Pour  Thy  love 

over  me,  that  I  may  love  as  Thou  lovest. 

Again,  I  say,  I  know  not  how,  for  it  passes 

all  understanding;  but   I  hope  that  Thou 

wilt  do  it  for  me,  I  trust  that  Thou  wilt  do 

it  for  me,  for  I  believe  that  Thou  art  Love, 

and  that  Thy  mercy  is  over  all  Thy  works. 

I   believe  that  Thou  so   lovest   the  world 

that  Thou  hast  sent  Thy  Son  to  save  the 

world  and  me.     I  know  not  how,  for  that 

too   passes   understanding;    but    I    believe 

that  Thou   wilt  do  it,   for  I  believe    that 
^  1S5  ►p 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


Thou  art  Love,  and  that  Thy  mercy  is 
over  all  Thy  works,  even  over  me.  I 
believe  that  Thy  will  is  peace  on  earth, 
even  peace  to  me,  restless  and  unquiet  as 
I  am,  and  goodwill  to  all  men,  even  to  me, 
the  chief  of  sinners.  Amen. 

PRAYER   BEFORE   HOLY   COMMUNION. 

O  blessed  Jesus  !  Saviour,  who  agon- 
ized for  us  !  God  Almighty,  who  didst 
make  Thyself  weak  for  the  love  of  us  !  Oh, 
write  that  love  upon  our  hearts  so  deeply 
that  neither  pleasure  nor  sorrow,  life  nor 
death  may  wipe  it  away !  Thou  hast 
sacrificed  Thyself  for  us ;  oh,  give  us  hearts 
to  sacrifice  ourselves  for  Thee  !  Thou  art 
the  Vine,  we  are  the  branches.  Let  Thy 
priceless  blood,  shed  for   us    on  the  cross, 

flow  like    life-giving    sap    through    all   our 
v^  ISG  ^ 


rRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


hearts  and  minds,  and  fill  us  with  Tliy 
riirhteousness,  that  we  mav  be  sacrifices  fit 
for  Thee.  Stir  us  up  to  offer  to  Thee,  0 
Lord,  our  bodies,  our  souls,  our  spirits ; 
and  in  all  we  love  and  all  we  learn,  in  all 
we  plan  and  all  we  do,  to  offer  ourselves, 
our  labours,  our  pleasures,  our  sorrows,  to 
Thee ;  to  work  for  Thy  kingdom  \  to  live  as 
those  who  are  not  their  own,  but  bought 
with  Thy  blood,  fed  with  Thy  body;  and 
enable  us  now,  in  Thy  most  Holy  Sacra- 
ment, to  offer  to  Thee  our  repentance,  our 
prayers,  our  praises,  living,  reasonable, 
and  spiritual  sacrifices — Thine  from  our 
birth-hour  —  Thine  now,  'and  Thine  for 
ever !  Amen. 

CONFESSION  OF   SIN. 

Father,  I  have  sinned  against  Thee,  and 

am  not  worthy  to  be  called  Thy  child  ;  but 
^  1S7  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


I  come  to  Thee.  Father,  I  hate  myself; 
but  Thou  lovest  me.  I  do  not  understand 
myself;  but  Thou  dost,  and  Thou  wilt 
be  merciful  to  the  work  of  Thine  own 
hands.  I  cannot  guide  and  help  myself, 
but  Thou  canst  help  me,  and  Thou  wilt 
too,  because  Thou  art  my  Father,  and 
nothing  can  part  me  from  Thy  love, 
or  from  the  love  of  Thy  Son,  my 
King.  I  come  and  claim  my  share  in 
Thee,  just  because  I  have  nothing,  and 
can  bring  Thee  nothing,  but  lie  at  Thy 
gate  as  a  beggar  full  of  sores,  desiring 
to  be  fed  with  the  crumbs  from  Thy 
table.  And  if  I  would  help  the  wretched, 
how  much  more  wilt  Thou  help  me.  Thy 
name  is  Love,  and  Thy  glory  is  the  like- 
ness of  Thy  Son  Jesus  Christ,  who   said, 

**  Come  to  me,  all   ye  that  are  weary  and 
>ii  1S8  ^ 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest;"  "If 
ye  being  evil  know  how  to  give  good  gifts 
to  your  children,  how  much  more  shall 
your  heavenly  Father  give  His  Holy  Spirit 
to  them  that  ask  Him."  Amen. 

CONFESSION  OF   WEAKNESS. 

0  God  my  Father,  1  am  Thine ;  save  me, 
for  I  have  sought  Thy  commandments.  I 
am  Thine — not  merely  Thy  creature,  0 
God — the  very  birds,  and  bees,  and  flowers 
are  that ;  and  do  their  duty  far  better  than 
I — God  forgive  me — do  mine. 

1  am  Thine — not  merely  Thy  child — but 

I   am   Thy   school   child.      0   Lord  Jesus 

Christ,  I  claim  Thy  help  as  my  schoolmaster, 

as  well  as  my  Lord  and  Saviour.     I  am  the 

least  of  Thy  school  children;  and   it  may 
^  189  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


be  the  most  ignorant  and  stupid.  I  do  not 
pretend  to  be  a  scholar,  a  divine,  a  phil- 
osopher, a  saint.  I  am  a  very  weak,  in- 
sufficient scholar,  sitting  on  the  lowest  form 
in  Thy  great  school-house,  which  is  the 
whole  world,  and  trying  to  spell  out 
the  mere  letters  of  Thy  alphabet,  in  hope 
that  hereafter  I  may  be  able  to  make  out 
whole  words  and  whole  sentences  of  Thy 
commandments,  and  having  learnt  them, 
to  do  them.  If  Thou  wilt  but  teach  me  Thy 
statutes,  O  Lord,  then  I  will  try  to  keep 
them  to  the  end ;  for  I  long  to  be  on  Thy 
side,  and  about  Thy  work.  I  long  to  help, 
be  it  ever  so  little,  in  making  myself  better, 
and  my  neighbour  better.  I  long  to  be 
useful,  and  not  useless;  a  fruit-bearing  tree, 
and  not  a  noxious  weed   in  Thy  garden  ; 

and  therefore   I  pray  that   Thou  wilt  not 

190  ^ 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


cut  mo  down  or  root  mo  up,  nor  let  foul 
creatures  trample  me  under  foot. 

Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord,  in  my 
trouble,  for  the  sake  of  the  truth  which 
I  long  to  learn,  and  for  the  good  which  I 
long  to  do.  Poor  weak  plant  though  I 
may  be,  I  am  still  a  plant  of  Thy  planting, 
which  is  struggling  to  grow%  and  flower, 
and  bear  fruit  to  eternal  life ;  and  Thou 
wilt  not  despise  the  -work  of  Thine  own 
hands,  O  Lord,  who  died  that  1  might  live  ? 
Thou  wilt  not  let  me  perish !  I  have 
stuck  unto  Thy  testimonies.  0  Lord,  con- 
found me  not !  Amen. 

COXFESSIOX   OF   ONE   IN   CONFUSION   OF 
SPIRIT. 

O  God,  Thou  knowest,  and  Thou  alone, 

how  far  I  am  right,  and  how  far  wrong. 
^  li'i  ^ 


^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


I  leave  myself  in  Thy  liand,  certain  that 
Thou  wilt  deal  fairly,  justly,  lovingly  with 
me,  as  a  Father  with  his  son.  I  do  not 
])retend  to  be  better  than  I  am;  neither 
will  I  pretend  to  be  worse  than  I  am. 
Truly  I  know  nothing  about  it.  I,  igno- 
rant human  being  that  I  am,  can  never 
fully  know  how  far  I  am  right,  and  how 
far  wrong.  I  find  light  and  darkness  fight- 
ing together  in  my  heart,  and  I  cannot 
divide  between  them.  But  Thou,  Lord,  canst. 
Thou  knowest.  Thou  hast  made  me  ;  Thou 
lovest  me ;  Thou  hast  sent  Thy  Son  into 
the  world  to  make  me  what  I  ought  to  be. 
Thou  wiliest  not  that  I  should  perish,  but 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth ;  and 
therefore  I  believe  that  I  shall  not  perish, 
but  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth 

about  Thee,  about  my  own  character,  my 
>^  192  ►J. 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


own  duty,  about  everything  which  it  is 
needful  for  me  to  know.  Therefore,  0  Lord, 
I  will  go  boldly  on,  doing  my  duty  as  well 
as  I  can,  though  not  perfectly,  day  by  day  ; 
and  asking  Thee  day  by  day  to  feed  my 
soul  with  daily  bread.  Thou  feedest  my 
body  with  daily  bread.  How  much 
more  wilt  Thou  feed  my  mind  and  my 
heart,  more  precious  by  far  than  my  body. 
Lord,  I  will  trust  Thee  for  soul  and  body 
alike;  and  if  I  need  correcting  for  my 
sins,  I  know  this,  at  least,  that  the  worst 
thing  that  can  happen  to  me,  or  to  any 
man,  is  to  do  wrong  and  not  to  be  cor- 
rected; and  the  best  thing  is  to  be  set 
right,  even  by  hard  blows,  as  often  as  I 
stray  out  of  the  way.  Therefore,  O  Lord,  I 
will    take    my    punishment    quietly    and 

manfully,  and   try  to   thank   Thee   for  it, 
►J.  N  193  ^ 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


as  I  ought;  for  I  know  that  Thou  wilt 
not  punish  me  beyond  what  I  deserve, 
but  far  below  what  I  deserve.  I  know 
Thou  wilt  punish  me  only  to  bring  me 
to  myself,  and  to  correct  me,  and  purge 
me,  and  strengthen  me.  I  believe,  0  Lord, 
on  the  warrant  of  Thine  own  word  I 
believe  it — undeserved  as  the  honour  is, 
that  Thou  art  my  Father,  and  lovest  me; 
Thou  dost  not  afflict  any  man  willingly, 
or  grieve  the  children  of  men  out  of 
passion  or  out  of  spite.  Thou  wiliest  not 
that  I,  or  any  man,  should  perish ;  but 
Thou  wiliest  have  all  men  to  be  saved 
and  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
for  Jesus  Christ  His  sake.  Amen. 

CONFESSION   OF   A  TORMENTED   SOUL. 

0   Lord,   I   am    in   misery — my  soul   is 

sore   troubled — for   I  have   sinned,    and   I 
►J4  104  ^ 


PRAYERS    AND    CONFESSIONS. 


confess  that  I  only  receive  the  due  re- 
ward of  my  deeds.  I  have  earned  my 
shame,  I  have  earned  my  sorrow ;  Lord, 
I  have  deserved  it  all.  I  look  back  on 
wasted  time  and  wasted  powers.  I  look 
round  on  ruined  health,  ruined  fortune, 
ruined  hopes ;  I  confess  that  I  deserve  it 
all.  But  Thou  hast  endured  more  than  this 
for  me,  and  Thou  hast  done  nothing  amiss. 
For  me  Thou  didst  suffer,  for  me  Thou  hast 
been  crucified,  and  me  Thou  hast  been 
trying  to  save  all  through  the  years  of  my 
vanity.  Perhaps  I  have  not  wearied  out 
Thy  love,  perhaps  I  have  not  conquered 
Thy  patience.  I  will  take  the  blessed 
chance.  I  will  still  cast  myself  upon  Thy 
love.  0  Lord,  I  have  deserved  all  my 
misery.  Yet,  Lord,  remember  me  when 
Thou  comest  into  Thy  kingdom.     Amen. 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEP. 


Father !  not  our  will  but  Thine  be  done. 
All  things  come  from  Thy  hand,  and  there- 
fore all  things  come  from  Thy  love.  We 
have  received  good  from  Thy  hand,  and 
shall  we  not  receive  evil  ?  Though  Thou 
slay  us,  yet  will  we  trust  in  Thee.  For 
Thou  art  gracious  and  merciful,  long-suffer- 
ing and  of  great  goodness.  Thou  art  loving 
to  every  man,  and  Thy  mercy  is  over  all 
Thy  works.  Thou  art  righteous  in  all  Thy 
ways,  and  holy  in  all  Thy  doings.  Thou 
art  nigh  unto  them  that  call  upon  Thee. 
Thou  wilt  hear  their  cry,  and  wilt  help 
them;  for  all  Thou  desirest,  when  Thou 
sendest  trouble  on  us,  is  to  make  us  wiser 
and  better.  And  that  Thou  canst  only  make 
us  by  teaching  us  the  knowledge  of  Thyself 
Glory  be  to  Thee,  O  God  !  Amen. 

THE    END. 
196 


CHARLES  KINGSLEY'S  WORKS. 


Messrs.  Macmillan  &  Co.  are  now  publishing  a 
Collected  Edition  of  the  Works  of  Charles 
KiNGSLEY.  The  volumes  are  in  Crown  8vo,  price  Six 
Shillings  each,  and  will  appear  at  regular  intervals  of 
a  month  until   the  set  is  complete. 

The  following  are  now  ready  : — 
PW.  /. 
POEMS.    Complete  Collected  Edition.    Crown  8vo.    6s. 

Vo/.  11. 
YEAST  :  A  Problem.     Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol.  III. 
ALTON  LOCKE  :  Tailor  and  Poei.     With  Portrait 
engraved  by  Jeens,  and  Memoir  by  Thomas  Hughes, 
Q.C.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

Vol.  IV. 
HYPATIA  ;   OR,  New  Foes  wnn  an   Old  Face. 
Crown  Svo.     6s. 

Vol.  V. 
GLAUCUS ;  or,  the  Wonders  of  the  Sea  Shore. 
With  Coloured  Illustrations.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

Vol.   VI. 
WESTWARD  HO  !  The  Voyages  and  Adventures 
of  Sir  Amyas  Leigh.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 


CHARLES   KINGSLEY'S    WORKS. 

Collected  Edition — Continued. 
Vol.  VI I. 

THE  HEROES  ;  or,  Greek  Fairy  Tales  for  my 
Children.     With  Illustrations.     Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol  VII I. 
TWO  YEARS  AGO.     Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol.  IX. 

THE  WATER  BABIES  :  A  Fairy  Tale  for  a  Land 
Baby.  With  Illustrations  by  Sir  Noel  Paton, 
R.S.A.,  and  P.  Skelton.     Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol.  X. 

THE  ROMAN  AND  THE  TEUTON.  Lectures 
before  the  University  of  Cambridge.  With  Preface 
by  Professor  Max  Muller.     Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol.  XL 

HEREWARD  THE  WAKE— Last  of  the  English. 
Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol.  XII. 
THE  HERMITS.     Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol.  XIII. 

MADAM  HOW  AND  LADY  WHY;  or,  First 
Lessons  in  Earth  Lore  for  Children.  Illus- 
trated.    Crown  Svo.     6s. 


CHARLES  KINGSLEY'S  WORKS. 

Collected  Edition —  Continued. 
Vol.  XIV. 

AT  LAST :  A  Christmas  in  the  West  Indies. 
With  numerous  Illustrations.     Crown  8vo.,  6s, 

Vol.  XV. 

PROSE  IDYLLS,  NEW  AND  OLD.  With  an 
Illustration.  Crown  8vo.  6s.  Contents— A  Charm 
of  Birds  ;  Chalk-Stream  Studies  ;  My  Winter  Gar- 
den ;  from  Ocean  to  Sea  ;  etc. 

Vol.  XVI. 

PLAYS  AND  PURITANS  ;  and  other  Historical 
Essays.  With  Portrait  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 
Crown  8vo.     6s. 

Vol.  XVII. 
HISTORICAL  ESSAYS.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

Vol.  XVIII. 

SANITARY  AND  SOCIAL  LECTURES  AND 
ESSAYS.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

Vol.  XIX. 

SCIENTIFIC  LECTURES  AND  ESSAYS.  Crown 
Svo.     6s. 

Vol.  XX. 

LITERARY  AND  GENERAL  ESSAYS.  Crown 
Svo.     6s. 

Others  to  follow. 


CHARLES    KINGSLEVS    WORKS. 

VILLAGE  AND  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  SER- 
MONS.     Crown  8vo.     6s. 

SERMONS  ON  NATIONAL  SUBJECTS.  Fcap. 
8vo.     3s.  6d. 

THE  KING  OF  THE  EARTH,  and  other  Ser- 
mons. Being  a  Second  Series  of  "Sermons  on 
National  Subjects."    Fcap.  8vo.     3s.  6d. 

SERMONS  FOR  THE  TIMES.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

GOOD  NEWS  OF  GOD.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

THE  GOSPEL  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH ;  and 
DAVID.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

THE  WATER  OF  LIFE,  and  other  Sermons. 
Crown  Svo.     6s. 

DISCIPLINE,  AND  other  Sermons.  Fcap.  Svo. 
3s.  6d. 

AVESTMINSTER  SERMONS.  With  a  Preface. 
Crown  Svo.     6s. 

MISCELLANIES.     2  Vols.     Crown  Svo.     12s. 

SELECTIONS  FROM  THE  WRITINGS.  With 
Portrait.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 

PHAETHON  ;  or,  Loose  Thoughts  for  Loose 
Thinkers.     Crown  Svo.     2s. 

HEALTH  AND  EDUCATION.     Crown  Svo.     6s. 


MACMILLAN  AND  CO.,  LONDON. 


